On February 24, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library launched its first-ever public exhibition of Yale’s vast Islamic manuscript collection, titled Taught by the Pen: The World of Islamic Manuscripts. This exhibition, featuring early Quran copies to modern texts, showcases Yale's collection—one of the largest in the U.S.—with manuscripts spanning diverse periods, regions, and styles.

Dr. Ozgen Felek, one of the exhibit’s curators, explained, "We aim to highlight the interconnected traditions of the Islamic world and show how ideas cross cultures."

Yale holds over 4,000 Islamic manuscripts, making it the third-largest collection in the nation. This exhibit offers a glimpse of these works, many of which are displayed and cataloged for the first time. Curators, including Felek, Dr. Agnieszka Rec, and Roberta L. Dougherty, focused on showcasing both artistic works and everyday objects used by ordinary people.

Notable pieces include a 13th-century cosmographic text and a complete collection of Rumi's poetry. The exhibit covers a wide range of topics, from science to architecture, aiming to unify diverse cultural and intellectual traditions.

Open daily until August 10, 2025, Taught by the Pen offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the rich literary heritage of the Islamic world through Yale's extraordinary collection.