The “Umayyad Codex of Fusṭāṭ” (Codex Marcel 13) – 1st Century Of Hijra
Islamic Awareness
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First Composed: 6th September 2018
Last Updated: 3rd March 2019
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Assalamu ʿalaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:
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(b) |
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(e)
Folios from codex Marcel 13 (the "Umayyad Codex of Fusṭāṭ"): (a) Arabe 330c, f. 15r, (b) Arabe 330c, f. 18r, (c) Arabe 330c, f. 18v, (d) Marcel 13, f. 3r, and (e) Marcel 13, f. 15r.
Date
1st century of hijra.[1] Déroche is of the opinion that this copy may have been one of those that were sent by al-Hajjaj to many cities including Fusṭāṭ that contained reformed orthography.
Size & Folios
37.0 cm x 31.0 cm.
Total number of folios are 73[2] = 9 (Arabe 330c, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris)[3] + 12 (Marcel 11, National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg) + 42 (Marcel 13, National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg)[4] +10 (Marcel 15, National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg).[5] The extant folios contain ~30% of the text of the Qur'an.
History Of The Manuscript
This manuscript was kept at the ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ mosque, Fusṭāṭ from where a member of French expedition to Egypt, Jean-Joseph Marcel, acquired a few leaves which became part of the collection of what is now known as National Library of Russia at St. Petersburgh. A few years later another Frenchman, Jean-Louis Asselin de Cherville, a consular agent of France in Cairo from 1806 to 1822, was able to buy a few folios. These were passed to the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, and became part of Arabe 330 collection of Qur'an manuscripts.
Script & Ornamentation
Kufic or perhaps late ḥijāzī.
The script bears some similarities with the ḥijāzī. Compare this manuscript with the “Umayyad Codex of Damascus”, TIEM ŞE 321, from Istanbul.
This copy was written with 25 lines to the page on folios in vertical format. The average height of the line is about 11.5 mm. Homogenous quires with five bifolios.
The sūrah headings of this codex are illuminated but irregularly.
Contents
Below are the published folios of this codex.
Codex Marcel 13 ("Umayyad Codex Of Fusṭāṭ") Folios Qur'anic Sūrah Image Publication Comments 1r 15:14 - 15:35 – Arabe 330c, folio 11r 1v 15:35 - 15:61 – Arabe 330c, folio 11v 2r 15:61 - 15:85 – Arabe 330c, folio 12r 2v 15:86 - 15:99; 16:1 - 16:06 – Arabe 330c, folio 12v 3r 16:06 - 16:22 – Arabe 330c, folio 13r 3v 16:22 - 16:33 – Arabe 330c, folio 13v 4r 16:33 - 16:43 – Arabe 330c, folio 14r 4v 16:43 - 16:56 – Arabe 330c, folio 14v 5r 16:56 - 16:67 – Arabe 330c, folio 15r 5v 16:67 - 16:76 – Arabe 330c, folio 15v 6r 16:76 - 16:85 – Arabe 330c, folio 16r 6v 16:85 - 16:94 – Arabe 330c, folio 16v 7r 16:94 - 16:106 – Arabe 330c, folio 17r 7v 16:106 - 16:117 – Arabe 330c, folio 17v 8r 16:117 - 16:128; 17:1 – Arabe 330c, folio 18r 8v 17:1 - 17:12 – Arabe 330c, folio 18v 9r 17:36 - 17:48 – Arabe 330c, folio 19r 9v 17:49 - 17:59 – Arabe 330c, folio 19v 10r 17:60 - 17:70 – Marcel 13, folio 1r 10v 17:70 - 17:82 – Marcel 13, folio 1v 11r 17:82 - 17:94 – Marcel 13, folio 2r 11v 17:94 - 17:105 – Marcel 13, folio 2v 12r 17:105 - 17:111; 18:1 - 18:7 Déroche, 2004; Déroche, 2014; Déroche, 2018 Marcel 13, folio 3r 12v 18:7 - 18:18 – Marcel 13, folio 3v 13r 18:18 - 18:26 – Marcel 13, folio 4r 13v 18:26 - 18:34 – Marcel 13, folio 4v 14r 18:34 - 18:47 – Marcel 13, folio 5r 14v 18:47 - 18:56 – Marcel 13, folio 5v 15r 18:56 - 18:68 – Marcel 13, folio 6r 15v 18:68 - 18:81 – Marcel 13, folio 6v 16r 18:81 - 18:95 – Marcel 13, folio 7r 16v 18:95 - 18:109 – Marcel 13, folio 7v 17r 18:109 - 18:110; 19:1 - 19:13 Déroche, 2014 Marcel 13, folio 8r 17v 19:13 - 19:29 – Marcel 13, folio 8v 18r 19:29 - 19:45 – Marcel 13, folio 9r 18v 19:46 - 19:60 – Marcel 13, folio 9v 19r 19:60 - 19:75 – Marcel 13, folio 10r 19v 19:75 - 19:97 – Marcel 13, folio 10v 20r 19:97 - 19:98; 20:1 - 20:18 Déroche, 2004 Marcel 13, folio 11r 20v 20:18 - 20:42 – Marcel 13, folio 11v 21r 20:42 - 20:61 – Marcel 13, folio 12r 21v 20:61 - 20:73 – Marcel 13, folio 12v 22r 20:74 - 20:87 – Marcel 13, folio 13r 22v 20:87 - 20:101 – Marcel 13, folio 13v 23r 20:101 - 20:118 – Marcel 13, folio 14r 23v 20:118 - 20:131 – Marcel 13, folio 14v 24r 20:131 - 20:135 ; 21:1 - 21:8 Déroche, 2014 Marcel 13, folio 15r 24v 21:9 - 21:25 – Marcel 13, folio 15v 25r 21:25 - 21:39 – Marcel 13, folio 16r 25v 21:39 - 21:54 – Marcel 13, folio 16v 26r 21:54 - 21:73 – Marcel 13, folio 17r 26v 21:73 - 21:85 – Marcel 13, folio 17v 27r 21:86 - 21:100 – Marcel 13, folio 18r 27v 21:100 - 21:112 ; 22:1 - 22:2 – Marcel 13, folio 18v 28r 22:2 - 22:11 – Marcel 13, folio 19r 28v 22:12 - 22:22 – Marcel 13, folio 19v 29r 22:22 - 22:32 – Marcel 13, folio 20r 29v 22:32 - 22:41 – Marcel 13, folio 20v 30r 22:41 - 22:53 – Marcel 13, folio 21r 30v 22:53 - 22:65 – Marcel 13, folio 21v 31r 22:65 - 22:75 – Marcel 13, folio 22r 31v 22:75 -22:78; 23:1 - 23:12 Déroche, 2004 Marcel 13, folio 22v 32r 24:49 - 24:58 – Marcel 13, folio 23r 32v 24:58 - 24:61 – Marcel 13, folio 23v 33r 25:16 - … – Marcel 15, folio 1r 33v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 1v 34r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 2r 34v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 2v 35r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 3r 35v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 3v 36r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 4r 36v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 4v 37r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 5r 37v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 5v 38r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 6r 38v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 6v 39r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 7r 39v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 7v 40r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 8r 40v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 8v 41r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 9r 41v … - … – Marcel 15, folio 9v 42r … - … – Marcel 15, folio 10r 42v … - 27:89 – Marcel 15, folio 10v 43r 30:3 - 30:16 – Marcel 11, folio 1r 43v 30:16 - 30:27 – Marcel 11, folio 1v 44r 30:27 - 30:38 – Marcel 11, folio 2r 44v 30:38 - 30:48 – Marcel 11, folio 2v 45r 30:48 - 30:58 – Marcel 11, folio 3r 45v 30:58 - 30:60; 31:1 - 31:11 – Marcel 11, folio 3v 46r 31:12 - 31:20 – Marcel 11, folio 4r 46v 31:20 - 31:30 – Marcel 11, folio 4v 47r 31:31 - 31:34; 32:1 - 32:4 – Marcel 11, folio 5r 47v 32:4 - 32:16 – Marcel 11, folio 5v 48r 32:16 - 32:27 – Marcel 11, folio 6r 48v 32:27 - 32:30; 33:1 - 33:6 – Marcel 11, folio 6v 49r 33:6 - 33:15 – Marcel 11, folio 7r 49v 33:15 - 33:23 – Marcel 11, folio 7v 50r 33:23 - 33:32 – Marcel 11, folio 8r 50v 33:32 - 33:37 – Marcel 11, folio 8v 51r 33:37 - 33:50 – Marcel 11, folio 9r 51v 33:50 - 33:53 – Marcel 11, folio 9v 52r 33:53 - 33:63 – Marcel 11, folio 10r 52v 33:64 - 33:73; 34:1 – Marcel 11, folio 10v 53r 34:1 - 34:11 – Marcel 11, folio 11r 53v 34:11 - 34:19 – Marcel 11, folio 11v 54r 34:19 - 34:31 – Marcel 13, folio 24r 54v 34:31 - 34:41 – Marcel 13, folio 24v 55r 34:41 - 34:52 – Marcel 13, folio 25r 55v 34:52 - 34:54; 35:1 - 35:8 – Marcel 13, folio 25v 56r 35:8 - 35:14 – Marcel 13, folio 26r 56v 35:14 - 35:29 – Marcel 13, folio 26v 57r 35:29 - 35:39 – Marcel 13, folio 27r 57v 35:39 - 35:45 – Marcel 13, folio 27v 58r 35:45; 36:1 - 36:18 Déroche, 2004 Marcel 13, folio 28r 58v 36:18 - 36:36 – Marcel 13, folio 28v 59r 36:36 - 36:53 – Marcel 13, folio 29r 59v 36:53 - 36:73 – Marcel 13, folio 29v 60r 36:73 - 36:83; 37:1 - 37:8 – Marcel 13, folio 30r 60v 37:8 - 37:36 – Marcel 13, folio 30v 61r 37:36 - 37:69 – Marcel 13, folio 31r 61v 37:69 - 37:102 – Marcel 13, folio 31v 62r 37:102 - 37:135 – Marcel 13, folio 32r 62v 37:136 - 37:171 – Marcel 13, folio 32v 63r 37:171 - 37:182; 38:1 - 38:10 – Marcel 13, folio 33r 63v 38:11 - 38:25 – Marcel 13, folio 33v 64r 38:25 - 38:40 – Marcel 13, folio 34r 64v 38:41 - 38:62 – Marcel 13, folio 34v 65r 38:63 - 38:88 – Marcel 13, folio 35r 65v 39:1 - 39:8 – Marcel 13, folio 35v 66r 39:8 - 39:20 – Marcel 13, folio 36r 66v 39:20 - 39:32 – Marcel 13, folio 36v 67r 39:32 - 39:43 – Marcel 13, folio 37r 67v 39:43 - 39:53 – Marcel 13, folio 37v 68r 39:54 - 39:67 – Marcel 13, folio 38r 68v 39:68 - 39:75; 40:1 - 40:2 – Marcel 13, folio 38v 69r 40:2 - 40:12 – Marcel 13, folio 39r 69v 40:12 - 40:22 – Marcel 13, folio 39v 70r 40:23 - 40:34 – Marcel 13, folio 40r 70v 40:34 - 40:46 – Marcel 13, folio 40v 71r 40:46 - 40:58 – Marcel 13, folio 41r 71v 40:58 - 40:69 – Marcel 13, folio 41v 72r 40:69 - 40:82 – Marcel 13, folio 42r 72v 40:82 - 40:85; 41:1 - 41:10 – Marcel 13, folio 42v 73r 41:10 - 41:21 – Marcel 11, folio 12r 73v 41:21 - 41:32 – Marcel 11, folio 12v
Location
National Library of Russia, St. Petersburg; Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
References
[1] F. Déroche, "A Qurʾanic Script From Umayyad Times: Around The Codex Of Fustat", in A. George & A. Marsham, Power, Patronage And Memory In Early Islam: Perspectives On Umayyad Elites, 2018, Oxford University Press: New York (USA), pp. 69-80 and Fig. 3.1.
[2] ibid., p. 69.
[3] F. Déroche, Catalogue Des Manuscrits Arabes: Deuxième Partie: Manuscrits Musulmans - Tome I, 1: Les Manuscrits Du Coran: Aux Origines De La Calligraphie Coranique, 1983, Bibliothèque Nationale: Paris, pp. 144-145.
[4] F. Déroche, Qurʾans Of The Umayyads: A First Overview, 2014, Koninklijke Brill nv: Leiden (The Netherlands), p. 105. Déroche says that the number of folios in Marcel 13 are 64. What we think is that he has added the folios of Marcel 11, Marcel 13, and Marcel 15 to arrive at this value. The choice of Marcel 13 is because it has thelargest number of folios and hence all other minor sets were subsumed under it.
[5] F. Déroche, "Colonnes, Vases Et Rinceaux Sur Quelques Enluminures D'Époque Omeyyade", Comptes Rendus Des Séances / Académie Des Inscriptions & Belles-Lettres, 2004 (published 2006), pp. 227-264, esp. p. 237.
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