The cover of this Aceh Qur'an is missing and it is done in a style that is typical of Qur'ans found in Sumatra. Aceh was the earliest region in Southeast Asia where Islam flourished. As early as the late 13th century, its rulers were professing the Islamic faith and by the 16th century, Aceh became known as a centre for religious study. For Muslims, the Qur'an is the visual embodiment of the Word of God and is hence considered sacred. The pious desire to beautify the Word of God was a central factor in the development of calligraphy in the Islamic world. One interesting aspect of Islamic art is that the form of expression can be found in a variety of media - thus you can find calligraphy in manuscripts or as large inscriptions done in stone for buildings.
