Fragmentary Cenotaph Cover with Qur'anic Calligraphy
Not on view
This rectangular silk textile shows a design of chevron bands containing calligraphic inscriptions comprising verses of the Qur'an, invocations to God, and the shahada, or Muslim profession of faith ("There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Messenger"). This type of textile covered important Ottoman tombs, and recalls the kiswa fabrics woven in similar designs, but of much larger scale, annually sent by the Ottoman sultans to adorn the Ka'ba in Mecca.
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