Women as Patrons and Artists

These three Qur’an manuscripts highlight the rôle of female patrons, calligraphers, and artisans in shaping the artistic legacy of the Prophet’s Mosque in Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and the cultural landscape of the Hijaz. Women from across the world also funded mosques, ribats, libraries, schools, and many other services in the Haramain, often through enduring charitable endowments (waqf).

Sharifah Aminah ‘Azizah bint ‘Ali, the wife of an imperial scribe in Istanbul, completed the copying of the Qur’an illustrated here on Sha’ban 1,1278 AH/February 12,1862 CE. The Qur’an was then endowed to the Rawdhah, which is confirmed by a waqf stamp of its library. Inside the Qur’an were several small sheets of paper that attest to the rigorous training Aminah ‘Azizah underwent: they include practice

lessons she submitted to her calligraphy master for correction.

Two other Qur’an manuscripts were endowed by women based at imperial courts in Türkiye and Egypt. One was endowed by Ruhshah Kadin, who died in about AH 1222/1807 CE, to the Rawdhah for recitation. The other was endowed by an emancipated qalfah (attendant) of the Khedive Isma’il Pasha (r. AH 1280-96/1863–79 CE). A waqf notice, dated Muharram 5, 1314 AH/June 16, 1896 CE, designated it to his tomb at the Mosque of al-Rifa‘i in Cairo, and a waqf stamp from the Rawdhah indicates it was later

endowed to the Prophet’s Mosque.

An intriguing Qur’an manuscript, which is not included here, is further testimony to the involvement of women in producing copies of the Qur’an in Makkah. Richly decorated in the baroque style and featuring images of Makkah al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, it was written and illuminated by two women. According to the colophon, dated AH 1259/1843 CE, it was completed by

Fatimah bint Abdullah in Makkah, while the illuminator was Manal Kucuk, whose signature appears in the ribbon at the bottom of the manuscript’s second page.