A Little Gem
The KFCRIS is a true gem and an oasis of calm in the bustling city.
Somewhat hidden between King Fahd Rd, Olaya St, 38th and 40th Streets in the building next to the minaret of the Al Faysaliyyah Mosque, it offers on two floors neatly and discreetly presented treasures of the Asfar – the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.
Arab-Islamic and Manuscripts Collection
The collection includes more than 200 rare heritage pieces of Arab-Islamic art, including home appliances, literature, coins, pottery, musical instruments and textiles, as well as unique manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an.
It is a feast for the eyes to look at the various calligraphy styles contained in the Qur’anic books on display, such as the Kufi script, the Nashi script, the Muhaqqaq script, and to enjoy their incredible aesthetics. The Koran is the first prose work in High Arabic.
One may smile at the shown copy of the Hamburg Koran from 1694, which was published by the Protestant theologian Abraham Henkelmann for teaching purposes, but in which Muslims discovered various errors in the content, so that this transfer of knowledge was not followed up for a while.
Kalila wa Dimna
Mention should be made at this point only of the specimen shown of another type of artistic prose that turned to themes that came from other cultures, namely the work Kalila wa Dimna, a collection of moral fables from animal life. It came by way of the Pahlevi from Sanskrit and was written in Arabic prose by Ibn al-Muqaffa’ (c. 720-756 AD), an Abbasid secretary of Iranian origin.
Open:
Saturday-Thursday 9 am-9 pm
Free admission
More Information about this and other museums in Riyadh can be found in my ebook “Dr. Hans-F. Loth – Travel Guide Riyadh and Jeddah”.
