User:Jbdbz/Blue Qur'an

***Note to peer reviewer: This sandbox contains additions to the existing Wikipedia article: Blue Qur'an

Controversy of Origin
The exact origin of the Blue Qur'an still remains hotly debated. Scholars have argued that the Blue Qur'an has originated in various locations, ranging from Iran, Iraq, Tunisia, Spain, to Sicily. These scholars have argued it was possibly created under one of (but not limited to) the following dynasties: Abbasids, Fatimids, Aghlabids, Umayyads, or Kalbids.

Frederick R. Martin, a Swedish man, introduced the Blue Qur'an to the academic community. He claimed that he obtained some of the manuscript's pages in Constantinople, and that it originated in Mashhad, Persia. The Blue Qur'an is connected to Persia through a Persian customs stamp on one its pages, but it is possible only this one page passed through Persia and that it was not necessarily created there. The horizontal layout of the Blue Qur'an resembles the luxurious Qur'ans created during the early Abbasid period, which supports the theory that it was created during the ninth century. If this manuscript was created during or around the Abbasid period, it would be likely that it originated in or around modern day Iraq, since this was the Abbasid's center. These pieces of evidence support the idea that the Blue Qur'an was created in the Eastern Islamic world, as opposed to the Western Islamic world.

On the other hand, the Blue Qur'an was possibly mentioned in the Kairouan library's catalogue around 1300 CE, so it is likely that the Blue Qur'an was in Tunisia at that point in time. This does not confirm that it was created in Tunisia though; it could have been transported there though some scholars argue that it is unlikely that a large, important manuscript like this would be carried such a long distance.

The Blue Qur'an shares many characteristics with the Bible of Cava (especially its deep blue color), a manuscript created in 812 CE in Spain. These similarities could imply the Bible of Cava and the Blue Qur'an share their origins in Spain around the ninth century. It is possible that an Umayyad patron or caliph commissioned the Blue Qur'an in Spain, and this manuscript was actually created by Christians, who have a tradition of writing their sacred texts on dyed parchment. Spain is a lot closer to Tunisia than Persia would have been, so the Blue Qur'an's transportation to Tunisia would have been easier in this case.

The controversy of the Blue Qur'an's origin affects scholars even today. For example, even museums cannot agree on how to categorize the Blue Qur'an. The David Collection categorizes this manuscript under Islamic Art and North Africa, while the Denver Art Museum categorizes it as Asian Art while still acknowledging it may have origins in North Africa. This conflicting categorization reflects on how scholars still do not, and may never agree on where the Blue Qur'an really came from.