Bookbinding dates back to very old times. Before the invention of paper, the texts written were kept as a roll in wooden cases or boxes. In order to keep the texts safe, which were written on wax tablets and papyrus, wooden lids were used and a kind of binding was performed by fastening these lids from both sides with strings. Then, after the parchment was started to be used, the parchment was folded and made into forms, and then stitched and bound. 

From the earliest surviving examples in the 9th century, Islamic binding represents not only the incredibly varied talents of centuries of artists, but also the historical influences of the Islamic culture, and the mixing of Islamic artistic traditions across both kingdoms and continents.

The Islamic codex was developed in part due to a need for a complete and tangible recording of the Qur’an that could be easily transported as Islam spread. Historic Islamic binding styles can be found from Indonesia to Spain, and across North Africa. Binders from Yemen, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Mughal India (to name a few) left their own mark on the increasingly ornate decorations associated with Islamic bindings. By the Middle Ages, the Arab invasion of Northern Africa resulted in increased trade routes; consequently, Islamic books and paper, which had been developing over centuries, became highly valued trade items. Today, Islamic bindings still remain revered for the religious text they convey, their detailed illuminations, and the artistic structure of the binding itself.

With the invention of paper in Central Asia, bookbinding developed among the Turks and became a branch of art. The first bindings of the Turks are seen with the Uyghur Turks in East Turkistan in the 7th century AD. The development of bookbinding in China started with the settlement of Uyghur artists in China. 

In the East, the first paper factory was established in Samarkand in 652 AD. Bookbinding came to Arabian Peninsula and Iraq after East Turkistan and Khorasan.

The first paper factory in Andalusia was established in Shatiba [Jativa] from 1144 to 1154. Europeans learned producing paper from that location.

Bookbinding, which is a unique art to Central Asia, made a great progress after the Turks embraced Islam. The spread of Islam to three continents, reproduction of the copies of the Qur’an, the preservation of the works about religion and science and the importance Islam gives to knowledge caused the protection of the works that are the sources of knowledge. Muslims show respect to writing and books to a great degree. As a matter of their faith, modesty and manner, they show great respect to religious books. Especially the respect and sensibility towards the Holy Book of Islam, the Qur’an, led to paying special attention to its gilding and binding in a most beautiful manner. As a result, bookbinding has become a branch of fine arts.

The art of bookbinding which developed at the hands of the Turks affected the European art of bookbinding to a great extent. Due to this, paper marbling and motifs of Islamic gilding started to be seen in Western Europe. After the 17th century, the classic style of binding gave its place to new styles. With the stylising of flower pictures, the style of shukufa (flower) developed. The shukufa period is considered as the end of the classic style. Towards the end of the 18th century, Barok and Rokoko styles were seen as the first effects of Western binding on the Turkish bookbinding art. Finally modern binding took the place of the old one.

The features of the classic bindings are as follows:

The main materials used in bookbinding are leather and boards. In the classic style the leather is moistened with water and softened and it is used after it is cut as thin as paper. The binding done with goat leather, the most commonly used leather colours are black, light beige, brown and maroon.

A classic binding is composed of four parts. These are upper (right) cover, back (left) cover, the foredge strip and the foredge flap. The upper cover is in front of the book and is bound to the back cover with the bookback. The foredge strip is between the foredge flap and the back cover. The foredge strip is the part that covers the side of the papers when the book is closed and it moves with the back cover. The foredge flap is the part that is put between the pages and it is bound to the forage strip. The margin left between the cover of the binding and the length of the book – which is very little and is done for preventing damage to the page edges.

The forms are mostly bound with tram silk with a suitable colour for the colour of the paper. Then the headband is knitted by hand. The headband ensures the forms do not disperse and stay smooth. Then the leather cover, which is prepared according to the size of the book, is bound. 

The bookback is smooth and has no writing on it. Ground gold is prepared in the classic style and is polished. Gilding is done on both covers and on the flap & strip.