Wikipedia's first sentence called it “kept in the topkapi museum”. Today it says “early manuscript of the quran dated to the middle 2nd century ah”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Early manuscript of the Quran Page from the Topkapi manuscript with heading for the chapter Ad-Dhuha”. It now reads “Early Quranic manuscript”.
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The opening as it read in 2025
Early Quranic manuscript This article is about the early Quranic manuscript. Page from the Topkapi manuscript with heading for the chapter Ad-Dhuha The Topkapı manuscript or Topkapı Quran (Also known as Topkapı Qurʾān Manuscript H.S. 32 or Topkapı H.S. 32) is an early manuscript of the Quran dated to the middle 2nd century AH (mid 8th century AD). This manuscript is kept in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul , Turkey . It is traditionally attributed to Uthman ibn Affan (d. 656). However, a recent study by Professor Rami Hussein Halaseh indicates that attributing H.S. 32 to "ʿUthmān or claiming its production during the first/seventh century is historically inaccurate." Similar illuminations can be found in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and other Umayyad monuments. The size of this manuscript is 41 cm × 46 cm (16 in × 18 in). According to Halaseh, H.S. 32 currently contains about 97.78% of the text of the Qur'ān. With only two pages (23 verses) lacking, this manuscript is the closest to the complete text of the Quran. Mehmed Ali Pasha , Governor of Egypt, sent this manuscript to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II as a gift in the 19th century (CE). The paleographic assessment indicates that the Topkapi manuscript comes closest to those writings that date back to the 8th century. (cf. the examples in Déroche: Abbasid, page 36). Halaseh also shows that based on the paleography of the manuscript, folios 2r–6v and 11 seems to have been created by another hand and added to the manuscript at a much later stage. According to Tayyar Altıkulaç , the manuscript dates to somewhere in the second half of the first century AH to the first half of the second century AH based on vowelling and dottings. E. İhsanoǧlu: "An examination of the Topkapı Muṣḥaf shows that it was written with a developed kufic script . The shape of the letters does not confirm to the writing style of the early Muṣḥafs attributed to Caliph ʿUthmān, which were written on vellum in his period and therefore known as the Muṣḥafs of Caliph ʿUthmān. (...) Apparently this Method of Abū al-Aswad al-Duʾalī [invented after the death of Caliph ʿUthmān] was carefully followed in placing the vowel marks of the Topkapi Palace copy. Single dots were placed in red ink above, beside or below the letters." (Altıkulaç, al-Muṣḥāf al-Sharif (Preface), page 9). The "Qur'ān Of ʿUthmān" At The Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, From 2nd Century Hijra" . Kodex Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi at corpus coranicum Tayyar Altıkulaç (2007). The Copy at Al-Mashhad Al-Husayni in Cairo .
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 1297129644.
The opening as it stood in 2010
The term Topkapi manuscript refers to a very early manuscript of Qur'an , and this manuscript is currently kept in the Topkapi Museum, Istanbul , Turkey .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 367796420.
The opening as it stood in 2015 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
The Uthman Quran replica at the Grand Mosque in Kuwait The Topkapi manuscript is an early manuscript of the Quran dated to the late 1st century / early 2nd century (AH).This manuscript is kept in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul , Turkey .It was wrongly attributed to Uthman Ibn Affan (d. 656), but judging from its illumination, the Topkapi manuscript does not date from the period (early first century AH) when the copies of the Caliph Uthman were written.The manuscript contains decorative bands separating the chapters and small ornamental circles separating the verses.Similar illuminations can be found in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and other Umayyad monuments.The size of this manuscript is 41 cm x 46 cm.It contains more than 99% of the text of the Qur'an.With only two pages (23 verses) lacking, this manuscript is the closest to the complete text of the Quran.Mehmed Ali Pasha , Governor of Egypt, sent this manuscript to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II as a gift in the 19th century (CE).The "Qur'ān Of ʿUthmān" At The Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, From 1st / 2nd Century Hijra" .Kodex Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi at corpus coranicum Mushaf Topkapi
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 610114712.
The opening as it stood in 2020 3 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
The Uthman Quran replica at the Grand Mosque in Kuwait The Topkapi manuscript is an early manuscript of the Quran dated to the late 1st century / early 2nd century AH (i.e. early to mid 8th century AD) This manuscript is kept in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul , Turkey . It is traditionally attributed to Uthman Ibn Affan (d. 656). Similar illuminations can be found in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and other Umayyad monuments. The size of this manuscript is 41 cm x 46 cm. It contains more than 99% of the text of the Qur'an. With only two pages (23 verses) lacking, this manuscript is the closest to the complete text of the Quran. Mehmed Ali Pasha , Governor of Egypt, sent this manuscript to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II as a gift in the 19th century (CE). The paleographic assessment indicates that the Topkapi manuscript comes closest to those writings that date back to the 8th century.(cf. the examples in Déroche: Abbasid, page 36).E. İhsanoǧlu: "An examination of the Topkapı Muṣḥaf shows that it was written with a developed kufic script.The shape of the letters does not confirm to the writing style of the early Muṣḥafs attributed to Caliph ʿUthmān, which were written on vellum in his period and therefore known as the Muṣḥafs of Caliph ʿUthmān.[...] Apparantly this Method of Abū al-Aswad al-Duʾalī [invented after the death of Caliph ʿUthmān] was carefully followed in placing the vowel marks of the Topkapı Palace copy.Single dots were placed in red ink above, beside or below the letters." (Altıkulaç, al-Muṣḥāf al-Sharif (Preface), page 9).Altıkulaç also documents some passages that he believes to be incorrect: "The Muṣḥaf contains a small number of mistakes which may be attributed to the scribes." (Altıkulaç, al-Muṣḥaf al-Sharif, page 75) "The "Qur'ān Of ʿUthmān" At The Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, From 1st / 2nd Century Hijra" .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 963063945.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Early manuscript of the Quran Page from the Topkapi manuscript with heading for the chapter Ad-Dhuha This article is about Quran.The Topkapi manuscript or Topkapi Quran is an early manuscript of the Quran dated to the early 2nd century AH (i.e., early- to mid-8th century AD). This manuscript is kept in the Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul , Turkey . It is traditionally attributed to Uthman Ibn Affan (d. 656). Similar illuminations can be found in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and other Umayyad monuments. The size of this manuscript is 41 cm x 46 cm. It contains more than 99% of the text of the Qur'an. With only two pages (23 verses) lacking, this manuscript is the closest to the complete text of the Quran. Mehmed Ali Pasha , Governor of Egypt, sent this manuscript to the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II as a gift in the 19th century (CE). The paleographic assessment indicates that the Topkapi manuscript comes closest to those writings that date back to the 8th century. (cf. the examples in Déroche: Abbasid, page 36). E. İhsanoǧlu: "An examination of the Topkapı Muṣḥaf shows that it was written with a developed kufic script. The shape of the letters does not confirm to the writing style of the early Muṣḥafs attributed to Caliph ʿUthmān, which were written on vellum in his period and therefore known as the Muṣḥafs of Caliph ʿUthmān. ... Apparently this Method of Abū al-Aswad al-Duʾalī [invented after the death of Caliph ʿUthmān] was carefully followed in placing the vowel marks of the Topkapı Palace copy. Single dots were placed in red ink above, beside or below the letters." (Altıkulaç, al-Muṣḥāf al-Sharif (Preface), page 9).
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1066703299.
Today
Wikipedia's first sentence called it “kept in the topkapi museum”. Today it says “early manuscript of the quran dated to the middle 2nd century ah”. The one-line description Wikipedia serves to search engines and AI systems read “Early manuscript of the Quran Page from the Topkapi manuscript with heading for the chapter Ad-Dhuha”. It now reads “Early Quranic manuscript”. Read the current article and compare.
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
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What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2010, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
kept in the topkapi museum
Now
early manuscript of the quran dated to the middle 2nd century ah
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
