Topkapi architectural scroll, Istanbul, Turkey

The Topkapi architectural design scroll is probably the best-preserved and oldest scroll of this kind to have survived. It is of great importance for an understanding of Timurid and Turkmen geometric design principles. The scroll is 29.5 meters long, with 114 drawings, it bears no date and is not signed. The drawings represent geometrical designs, murqanas designs and contain patterns and elements of square kufic. It entered the Ottoman imperial treasury at an unknown date and is now housed at the Topkapi Place Museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله

la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah

(The first Kalima.)

مبارك باد

الله لآ اله الا هو

الكريم لله

al-Karim lillahi

الملك لله

al-Malik lillahi

الحكم لله

al-Hakim lillahi

Interpretation pending.

علي

Ali (four times in center.)

الله

Allah (four times in center.)

نبي محمد

nabi Muhammad (eight times around.)

الله ربي محمد نبي

Allah rabbi, Muhammad nabi

Example of the wallpaper pattern.

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله

la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah

(The first Kalima.)

Example of the wallpaper pattern.

هو الله الذي لا اله الا هو الرحمن الرحيم اللك القدوس السلام الومن الهيمن العزيز الجبار اليكبر الخالق - اله السلطا ن

References

Topkapi Palace Museum official website