The Blue Koran. A contribution to the debate on its possible origin and date

This article reconsiders the origin, both geographical and cultural, of the Blue Koran and suggests a date and place for its production. Through a codicological comparison with a Western manuscript, the Bible of Danila, in which a deep blue parchment and dry-point ruling are employed, it seems possible to establish a link between this Latin precedent and the Blue Koran. A further comparison with a blue manuscript, in Syriac, on paper, provides a parallel for the use of a dyed/coloured writing material. Such practice, well attested to in Greek and Latin manuscript production, can be found in various cultural spheres. My hypothesis is that the commissioner of the Blue Koran – or the artisans working for him – was aware of the existence of the Bible of Danila, and requested this ‘special’ production for his own sacred text.