Elaheh Shahpasand: Quranic Manuscript Studies: Iran and the West in Contemporary Context

Elaheh Shahpasand (University of Quranic Sciences and Thought at Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran)

The study of Quranic manuscripts in contemporary Iran can be categorized into four main areas: (1) codicology; (2) textual studies; (3) artistic studies; and (4) scientific analysis. Research in each of these four areas has taken the form of articles, books, and dissertations and, across these four areas, Iranian scholars' have used a variety of tools and methods for presenting Quranic manuscripts and related research, including: (1) specialized academic journals; (2) specialized websites; (3) research centers and academic projects; (4) conferences and workshops; and (5) digitizations of Quranic manuscripts. This talk will show how, while studies of Quranic manuscripts have existed for a long time in Iran, over the past two decades—following a relatively positive shift in attitudes toward the works of Western scholars and the increased translation of their research into Persian—these studies have developed stronger links with academic research conducted in Western institutions and are now presented in a more structured scholarly manner. In particular, scholars working in codicology and textual studies have established significant connections with international scholarship, some examples of which will be discussed in the presentation.