الرق

Ingredients

جلود الحيوان, الجير, الزرنيخ

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Parchment production involves five stages: 1. Selection of animal skin based on health and size (p. 5). 2. 'Al-Mart': Hair removal using a mixture of lime (al-jir) and arsenic (al-zarnikh), or sometimes dates (al-tamr) (p. 5). 3. 'Al-Ta'riq': Scraping the flesh side with a sharp tool at an angle to remove fats and tissues (p. 5). 4. 'Al-Saqal wa al-Tajfif': Stretching the skin on wooden frames for drying and polishing (p. 5). 5. 'Al-Sibagha': Dyeing the parchment, which was an optional luxury step for manuscripts like the Blue Quran (p. 5).

Evidence

"ومثال ذلك (المصحف الأزرق) بالقيروان، الذي كُتب في النصف الثاني من القرن الرابع الهجري"

Remarks

The author distinguishes between 'Adim' (red or tanned leather) and 'Qadim' (white leather) (p. 5). The Blue Quran is cited as a prime example of high-luxury parchment production involving specialized dyeing and the use of precious metal inks (p. 5).