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[THE FIRST GEORGIAN TRANSLATION OF QURAN] k’urani [q’urani] muhammadisa [i.e. Mohammed’s Koran [Quran]].

Item #2160

Tbilisi: elekt’rommbech’davi „shroma“, 1906. 628 pp. 24,3x16,9 cm.

In the owner's contemporary binding. Near fine.
Extremely rare Georgian imprint. First and only edition. Text in Georgian.

The earliest Georgian translation of the Quran, adapted from French by the Georgian publicist and polyglot Petre Mirianashvili (1860-1944) in 1906. The translation was sponsored by the Georgian entrepreneur David Sarajishvili (1848-1911) and initiated by the renowned writer Ilia Chavchavadze (1837-1907). The Georgian Quran aimed to provide thousands of Georgian Muslims with the opportunity to learn the word of God in their native language. At the time, the book was part of a broader effort to integrate the long-standing Muslim community into Georgian society.
Muslims first arrived in Georgia in the 7th century during the Arab conquests and have since remained an important segment of the population. In the early 1900s, with the rise of liberal sentiments, Georgian public figures actively supported several pro-Muslim initiatives, including the establishment of the Muslim political party "Modaf" and the founding of various Muslim educational institutions across Georgia. The translation of the Quran was a significant step in these efforts, reflecting a commitment to fostering religious & cultural inclusivity in Georgia.
Petre Mirianashvili was a Georgian translator and a graduate of the Sorbonne & Saint Petersburg Universities. Mirianashvili taught French and Georgian, served as a language censor, and was a member of the Church Museum's board in Tbilisi. Some of his most famous translations include Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey," Virgil's "Aeneid," and Goethe's "Faust." Mirianashvili also authored the libretto for Zakaria Paliashvili's opera "Abesalom and Eteri" and published articles in the Georgian newspaper “Iveria.”
Overall, historically important first translation of Mohammed’s Quran in Georgian.

Worldcat locates four copies of the edition at Cleveland Public Library, Royal Danish Library, Danish National Library, and Bavarian State Library.

Price: $2,500.00