VIIIth-XIIIth century early period Mushaf roses

Throughout history, every civilization has created art works that best express their customs, beliefs, social, and cultural values, spanning from architecture to handicrafts, to leave a legacy for future generations. Among Turkish Islamic arts, the art of tezhip holds a significant place, becoming increasingly widespread after the adoption of Islam and evolving significantly over time. Undoubtedly, the finest examples of Turkish tezhip art and the most invaluable works for Muslims are the Qur'ans. The earliest manuscripts from the early Islamic period reflect the initial stages of tezhip art, showcasing the first decorative elements. The Mushafs are divided into sections to facilitate reading or memorization. The decorative embellishments applied to areas outside the text field and the designated spots within Mushafs are called "Mushaf gülü" (Mushaf roses). This study aims to determine the tezhip characteristics of the roses in Mushafs from the early Islamic period, spanning from the Umayyad period to the Anatolian Seljuk period, and to reveal their style according to the ornamentation understanding of their time. It is based on research conducted on 14 Mushafs registered in the Topkapı Palace Museum Library's Fehmi Edhem Karatay Arabic Manuscripts Catalog from the 8th to 13th centuries. The roses in the Mushafs were evaluated in terms of composition, color, motif, pattern design, and stylistic features. Examining the journey of the first pattern examples of tezhip art to the present day and their contributions to its development through these Mushafs will be valuable for identifying the decorative characteristics of the periods in which they were created and for contributing to future research with the scientific veri obtained. Keywords: Tezhip Art, Mushaf, Mushaf Rose, Ornamentation, Gold.