Calligraphy by Imamzade, cognomen of Mehmed (d. 1756), The Koran begins with the Fatiha and Bakara surahs on an illuminated double spread. The text is surrounded by broad horizontal rectangles and a broad border with pointed lobes filled with gold-on-gold decoration. In the margin are alternately blue and cherry coloured darts with flower motifs. The verse stops are gilded, and the marginal rosettes—marking each five-page and twenty-page sections and points where worshippers should prostrate themselves in prayer—and surah headings are illuminated. At the end of the book the hatim prayer is written on dark cream coloured paper (ff. 399v-402v). The chestnut coloured leather binding with flap has gold-tooled decoration on the covers consisting of a stamped medallion with pendants and cornerpieces filled with a design of hatayi blossoms and cloud motifs. A border containing leather cartouches decorated with dots surrounds the composition. Stamped on the fore-edge flap are two verses from the Vakıa surah of the Koran (78-79), ‘This is a treasured and inviolable book. That none but the pure-hearted may touch,’ inside a gilded cartouche. The doublures and endpaper are made of cherry coloured leather, decorated on one side with dots and gilded lozenges. The doublures, spine, fore-edge flap, some of the surah headings and marginal rosettes, and halkâr gilding date from the 19th century when the manuscript underwent restoration was added at the same time.
