In Islam, the concept that the word was revealed to man in its highest and final form in the Qur'an, has made this “word” the foundation of all Muslim artistic expression. In this study, the authors present a collection of the published transcriptions of Qur'anic inscriptions in Islamic monuments in order to determine how the inscriptions were used and what patterns, if any, might contribute to an appreciation of the religious content of a work of art. The study is limited to the world of medieval Islam, when religious foundations were at their greatest strength, most vital, and found their most integrated expression. The inscriptions presented are taken from Jerusalem, Cairo and Damascus.

Volume I presents the text and photographs of the inscriptions, while Volume II gives three indices of the Qur'anic verses, in order of the suras, used geographically and according to their place in the buildings.

English, 1981, Volume I: 91 pages, Volume II: 325 pages, hardcover, $25 each