QURANICUS
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QURANICUS – PDR EQUIPMENT
The QURANICUS–PDR (Pakistan Digital Repository of Qur'anic Manuscripts) is an unprecedented national initiative dedicated to the preservation, digitization, and dissemination of Pakistan's rich Qur'anic manuscript heritage. Recognizing the historical and spiritual significance of these sacred texts, the project combines modern technology with classical Islamic scholarship to create a sustainable, open-access digital archive.
This report specifically outlines the technical equipment required to operationalize and sustain the three primary modules of the project:
- Database Development
- Analysis & Research
- Digitization & Global Access
Each piece of equipment has been selected based on stringent criteria—preservation standards, scholarly compatibility, and long-term usability. Together, these tools enable QURANICUS–PDR to uphold the dual mission of protecting the Qur'anic textual tradition while making it accessible to researchers and the public worldwide.
Rationale of Equipment Selection
The selected equipment supports the entire manuscript lifecycle from survey and metadata entry to high-resolution imaging, script analysis, secure digital storage, and global access. Each tool is aimed at ensuring accuracy, sustainability, and the ethical handling of sacred manuscripts. Special attention has been given to the preservation quality, standard-compliance, and integration capability with IIIF and TEI/XML frameworks.
Rationale for Each Equipment
- Zeutschel OS 16000: Allows glare-free, flat, and safe digitization without damaging old scripts.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV + Macro Lens (x3 Units): Portable alternative to scanner; helps in capturing detail in rare manuscripts.
- Dell Precision 3000 Workstation: Powerful and reliable machine for continuous database development.
- Synology RackStation RS1221+: Ensures secure, reliable, and expandable storage infrastructure.
- Oxygen XML Editor: Provides scholarly standard metadata encoding compliant with international norms.
Equipment Details
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The Qur'an is not just a book — it is the eternal Word of Allah, a divine guide for all of humanity, and the greatest trust bestowed upon this Ummah. Preserving its written form is an act of devotion, a responsibility of the faithful, and a service that transcends time.
Pakistan, the world's second-largest Muslim country, is blessed with thousands of rare and ancient Qur'anic manuscripts spread across its libraries, madaris, shrines, and private collections. Sadly, many of these sacred pages are at risk — unrecorded, deteriorating, and disappearing — with no national effort to document or protect them.
QURANICUS–PDR is the first large-scale national project to digitize, preserve, and globally share Pakistan's Qur'anic manuscript heritage. Using cutting-edge technologies like high-resolution imaging, TEI/XML encoding, and script analysis, it bridges traditional Islamic scholarship with modern digital research tools.
This is not merely an academic initiative — it is a religious obligation, a national honor, and a historic opportunity.
Every manuscript saved is a verse protected. Every contribution is a sadaqah jariyah.
— Support QURANICUS–PDR —
as a believer, as a Pakistani, as a protector of the Qur'an.
Sponsor a page. Save a script. Preserve the Book of Allah.
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