A late 18th- or early 19th-century Quran from Ottoman Syria, held by the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, was used to swear in Zohran Mamdani as New York City's first mayor to take the oath on the Muslim holy book. The ceremony took place just after midnight on New Year's Day 2026 at the decommissioned City Hall station, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The Quran is now on display at the library's main branch in an exhibition titled "The People's Quran: Making History at City Hall."
The display matters because it connects a historic political milestone—Mamdani's inauguration—with the library's mission to preserve and share diverse cultural heritage. The Quran, originally collected by Harlem Renaissance-era historian Arturo Schomburg as part of his effort to document Black global history, highlights the intersection of Islamic tradition, African diaspora scholarship, and contemporary civic life in New York. It also underscores the growing visibility of Muslim officials in U.S. politics, following precedents set by figures like Keith Ellison and Ilhan Omar.