Rashid al-Din’s Jami‘ al-Tawarikh (Compendium of Chronicles) is considered the first universal history ever written. Edinburgh University's Heritage Collections preserves an exceedingly rare and precious illustrated manuscript copy of this text made in 1307–14 CE and thus dating to the author’s time. Its cycle of paintings depicting the Prophet Muhammad is especially important, as they are among the earliest extant in the history of Islamic book arts and they reveal an interest in narrating and commemorating Muhammad’s life and deeds in visual form. 

This hands-on presentation by Prof Christiane Gruber (University of Michigan) of the manuscript focuses on these images to explain their religious motifs and contextual meanings while also addressing questions of image preservation and destruction.

This video was made in collaboration with Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online

Further information on this manuscript and high resolution images can be found in its online catalogue entry: Or MS 20