Martyred Leader, greatest donor of manuscripts to Astan Qods Razavi

According to Abdolhamid Talebi, head of the AQR Scientific and Cultural Organization, “The martyred leader was the greatest donor of manuscripts to the institution, having endowed more than 13,000 handwritten manuscripts and 4,500 lithographic works”. 
He made the remarks at a ceremony unveiling the handwritten note of the martyred Leader on a Quran manuscript copied by Abdullah Renani at Dar al-Quran of Imam Reza Shrine.
Talebi described the library of Astan Qods Razavi as a thousand-year repository of the Islamic world’s cultural, artistic, and religious heritage. 
“The collection contains exceptional examples of calligraphy, illumination, manuscript decoration, and miniature art. Many of these works have no equivalent across the Islamic world”, he said. 
 He added that the oldest endowed manuscripts include Quranic folios dating back to the early 4th century AH, with one of the earliest copies endowed in 327 AH.
The director explained that many distinguished scholars over the centuries have contributed to the growth of the library, stressing: “The martyred Leader’s position is unique among all benefactors”.
 Talebi continued: “Some of these works were presented to him, and many others were personally purchased with his own funds and then endowed to Astan Qods Razavi.”
He also highlighted preservation efforts in recent years. “A specialized team was formed in 2023 to conduct in-person and virtual imaging of manuscripts, while a large-scale restoration project repaired more than 2,000 handwritten and lithographic works in two years. The total holdings of the library have now surpassed 100,000 manuscripts and lithographic volumes”.
Officials also emphasized the scholarly value of the Quran copied by Abdullah Renani in 1233 AH, noting its translation and interpretive marginalia, and called for broader research on Quranic manuscripts preserved in the Astan Qods Razavi collection.