---
title: "1,000-Year-Old Ibn al-Bawwab Quran Displayed in Makkah"
url: "https:\/\/theislamicinformation.com\/news\/1000-year-old-ibn-al-bawwab-quran-displayed-in-makkah\/"
type: "post"
updated: "2026-07-16"
description: "Only two copies of the ancient manuscript exist worldwide, and one is now on show at the Iqra exhibition in Makkah"
taxonomies: ["News","Holy Quran","Ibn al-Bawwab","Iqra Exhibition","Islamic Calligraphy","Makkah","Masjid Al-Haram","Saudi Arabia"]
---

# 1,000-Year-Old Ibn al-Bawwab Quran Displayed in Makkah

Source: https://theislamicinformation.com/news/1000-year-old-ibn-al-bawwab-quran-displayed-in-makkah/
Updated: 2026-07-16

- A Quran copied by calligrapher Ibn al-Bawwab over 1,000 years ago is on show at the Iqra exhibition in Makkah
- Only two copies of this manuscript exist anywhere in the world
- The exhibition is run by the Presidency of Religious Affairs at Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) and Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque), under the King Abdulaziz Endowment

A rare copy of the Holy Quran, written by the calligrapher Ali bin Hilal, better known as Ibn al-Bawwab, is drawing visitors to the Iqra exhibition in Makkah. The manuscript is over 1,000 years old and stands as one of the exhibition's main pieces.

## About the Manuscript

Ibn al-Bawwab wrote this copy of the Quran more than a millennium ago. It is shown alongside a scholarly index and study of its calligraphy and ornamentation, giving visitors a closer look at its artistic and historical value. The display also traces how Arabic calligraphy and Islamic ornamentation changed over the centuries.

![1,000 Year Old Ibn al Bawwab Quran image 1](https://theislamicinformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1000-Year-Old-Ibn-al-Bawwab-Quran-image-1.webp)

## Only Two Copies in the World

The manuscript is considered one of the rarest Islamic manuscripts in existence. Only two known copies survive worldwide, a fact that reflects the care and value placed on the Holy Quran throughout Islamic history.

![1,000 Year Old Ibn al Bawwab Quran close up](https://theislamicinformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1000-Year-Old-Ibn-al-Bawwab-Quran-close-up.webp)

## Who Organised the Exhibition

The Iqra exhibition is run by the Presidency of Religious Affairs at Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) and Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque), through the King Abdulaziz Endowment.

![1,000 Year Old Ibn al Bawwab Quran image 2](https://theislamicinformation.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1000-Year-Old-Ibn-al-Bawwab-Quran-image-2.webp)