The handwritten Quran that belonged to Sultan Abdulaziz was written in the second half of the 18th century by calligraphist Mahmut Celaleddin and sold for 540,000 pounds on Oct. 8. The Quran found in the library of Sultan Abdulaziz's daughter Nazime Sultan, became the most precious work at the auction. The centuries-old copy of the holy book was gifted by the king of Saudi Arabia to Iraqi Prime Minister Abd Al-Rahman Al-Gillani.
“Calligraphy artist Mahmut Celaleddin is one the most prominent calligraphers raised in the Ottoman Empire. Unlike other calligraphers, he accepted the religious order of Sheikh Hamidullah and Hafidh Osman and learned the art of calligraphy without any teacher,” said Islamic artwork collector Yusuf Gezer. Sara Plumbly, the head of Christie's Islamic Artworks Section, stated the ancient Quran written by Mahmut Celaleddin, was one of the most important Islamic works at the auction. Plumbly also remarked the rising interest in Islamic artworks in recent years and said there is a significant buyer profile in Turkey.
