New York Library Puts On Display 18th Century Quran Used By Mamdani To Take Oath As Mayor

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 14:26 IST

Mayor Mamdani used Arturo Schomburg’s historic Ottoman Syrian Quran for his NYC swearing-in; it is on display at the New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.

The New York Public Library has announced that the Quran has been put on display for the public at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street. (Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani /X)

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced that the 18th century Quran he used for his swearing-in will be kept on display at the main branch of the New York Public Library.

In a post on X shared on Tuesday, the Mayor said that the Quran used during the swearing-in ceremony on January 1 belonged to an 18th-century Black scholar and revolutionary activist named Arturo Schomburg.

“When I swore in at midnight at the old City Hall subway station last week, I had the honor of doing so on Arturo Schomburg’s 18th-century Qur’an," he said.

He further said: “This manuscript was copied in Ottoman Syria, and is written in black ink with red highlighting the text’s divisions – no ornate decoration, it belonged to the everyday reader, and it now belongs to all New Yorkers as part of our City’s next chapter."

The library also shared a post announcing that the Quran will be on display for the public at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street.

“In a history-making moment for NYC, Mayor Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office using a Qur’an from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. Want to see this piece of history for yourself? The Qur’an will be on display in the McGraw Rotunda at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street starting January 6," it said.

The Library, in its website, stated that this Quran was part of the personal library of Arturo A Schomburg (1874–1938), a leading bibliophile of the African Diaspora, who built a world-class collection documenting the history and culture of people of African descent.

“Written in black and red ink, the lack of opulent illumination indicates this Qur’an was intended for an ordinary reader and everyday use. Although neither dated nor signed, the Qur’an’s minute naskh script and its binding, featuring a gilt-stamped medallion filled with a floral composition, suggest it was produced in Ottoman Syria in the 19th century," it stated.

News world New York Library Puts On Display 18th Century Quran Used By Mamdani To Take Oath As Mayor

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