Catherine’s Qur’ans and Their Presence in the World Library Collections

The article is devoted to the consideration and general description of the St. Petersburg printed editions of the Qur’an (Catherine’s Qur’ans) found in the library collections of the world. The present paper provides data for the future union catalogue of all known St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an owing to the source study analysis of various library catalogues and the examination of the bibliographical description of each copy, its title, place and year of publication, physical attributes (format, binding), identification of the call number and the history of its storage. The study results present the historical distribution path of each copy, its geography (Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Australia) and the chronology of its publication from 1787 to 1796). In conclusion, the author raises issues and considers the prerequisites for the creation of the union catalogue of St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an, which will describe their storage locations and provide a complete or updated bibliographic description for each copy of the Catherine’s Qur’an found. The findings of the study open avenues for further research into the history of presence, the current state, and theological exploration of the St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an in Western Europe and even in Australia.

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