Tickets are now available for the Birmingham Qur’an manuscript exhibition, taking place at the University of Birmingham from 2–25 October 2015.
The Birmingham Qur’an manuscript, held at the University of Birmingham’s Cadbury Research Library, has been radiocarbon dated to the period 568–645 CE with 95.4% accuracy, placing it among the oldest Qur’an manuscripts in the world.
The exhibition will be held in the Bramall Music Building at the University of Birmingham’s Edgbaston campus.
There is no charge for tickets. However, a £3.00 booking fee will apply to cover the administration costs associated with the ticketing process.
Time slots will be allocated to view the manuscript, and a limited number of tickets are available. Booking is essential.
The University of Birmingham announced in July that radiocarbon analysis of the parchment had placed the four-page Qur’an manuscript close to the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad. Researchers concluded that the manuscript was among the earliest written textual evidence of the Islamic holy book known to survive.
The manuscript is part of the University’s Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern manuscripts, held in the Cadbury Research Library.
Susan Worrall, Director of Special Collections at the University of Birmingham, said: ‘The announcement of our radiocarbon dating result generated huge excitement and an overwhelmingly positive response around the world.
‘The manuscript is a global treasure, and we hope people will enjoy being able to view such an important document here at the University of Birmingham.’
Responding to suggestions that the dating of the Birmingham Qur’an manuscript could have implications for traditional accounts of the early history of Islam, Professor David Thomas, Professor of Christianity and Islam at the University of Birmingham, said: ‘The result of the radiocarbon dating of the Birmingham Qur’an manuscript is tremendously exciting and has clearly stimulated wider academic debate. However, at this stage we cannot draw any conclusions beyond the fact that the manuscript appears to be among the oldest in the world.’
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact the University of Birmingham press office.
Information on opening times, booking tickets, how to get to the University of Birmingham, and an FAQ on the Birmingham Qur’an manuscript can be found online.