The city’s new socialist mayor announced that one of the Qurans used at his swearing-in will go on public display at the New York Public Library, a move that highlights a historic manuscript tied to Arturo Schomburg and sparks conversation about how civic rituals connect to cultural collections. The item, described as an 18th-century Qur’an with humble craftsmanship, is being presented alongside photos from the mayor’s private midnight oath and promotional slogans in the library’s McGraw Rotunda. This short piece lays out the facts about the manuscript, the display, and the figures involved, leaving the details to speak for themselves.
Zohran Mamdani wrote on X that the Quran 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,” said Mamdani. He framed the moment as both personal and historic.
In his post Mamdani added a description of the book’s origins and appearance. He said that “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 description stresses plain workmanship rather than lavish display.
The new mayor shared a photo of the library display that carries slogans such as “The People’s Qur’an” and “Making history at City Hall.” The exhibit pairs the manuscript with images of Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, taken during the private New Year’s midnight oath-of-office ceremony. Those photos show the mayor being sworn in by New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
Alongside the portrait shots, the display includes a close-up of the Qur’an with Mamdani’s hand on it and an image of Arturo Schomburg himself. Presenting the artifact with these personal photos turns the library case into a visual record of the inauguration moment. The choice to combine personal and archival images is a deliberate curatorial decision.
The Qur’an is part of the collection retained by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. The library said that after the “history-making moment [of Mamdani’s swearing-in] with one of the Schomburg Center’s treasured collection items,” it would be displayed beginning Jan. 6 in the McGraw Rotunda at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on 42nd Street. The Rotunda placement gives the piece a prominent public platform.
Arturo Schomburg is identified by the library as a Puerto Rican–born bibliophile, historian and journalist who amassed materials on Black history and culture. The institution notes he co-founded Las Dos Antillas, a revolutionary anti-colonialist political organization that advocated for Cuban and Puerto Rican independence. The group’s activities included sending weapons, money and medical supplies to aid the independence struggles of Cuba and Puerto Rico, according to the library.
New York Public Library President Anthony Marx commented on the decision to display the book, saying, “This specific Qur’an, which Arturo Schomburg preserved for the knowledge and enjoyment of all New Yorkers, symbolizes a greater story of inclusion, representation, and civic-mindedness.” That statement frames the exhibition as part of a broader civic and cultural mission. It presents the Quran not only as an object but as a symbol within the library’s narrative.
Hiba Abid, New York Public Library curator of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, also commented that “the significance of this Qur’an extends far beyond the beauty of its pages. “It is a Qur’an close to the people, not only because of its simple craftsmanship, but also because it is part of the collections of the nation’s largest public library system. Its importance lies not in luxury, but in accessibility, and we hope it inspires more New Yorkers to explore the rich diversity of our Middle Eastern and Islamic collections.”
Putting this Qur’an on view ties a moment of municipal theater to a long archival story about diaspora, activism, and collecting. The display invites visitors to weigh what public rituals borrow from cultural institutions and how museums and libraries frame such artifacts. As the item takes its place in the Rotunda, the conversation about history, symbolism, and civic memory is likely to continue among New Yorkers from all walks of life.
