Muslims who completely memorize the Qur’an are allowed to use the title ‘Hafız’ before their names. They believe that whoever memorizes the holy book and follows its teachings will be rewarded by Allah and will rise in status in Paradise.

The practice dates back to the days when illiteracy was widespread and paper and vellum were prohibitively expensive, so Hafızes were seen as guardians of the holy word, keeping it alive for future generations.

The Qur’an has a total of 604 pages and 6,236 verses, and committing them to memory is usually achieved by repetition and recitation. Girls are attempting to memorize the whole Qur'an, a tradition that has been going on since the time of Muhammad, passed down through generations for nearly 1500 years.

In Turkey, thousands of Qur’an schools exist for this purpose and most of them are for girls. The ages range from eight to nineteen years old, and most take three or four years to complete the task that requires discipline, devotion and focus. After graduating, most of these girls marry and have families, but still retain in their memory the holy text word for word.

My aim is to follow the daily lives of students at Qur’an schools as they become Hafızes, as well as the rule-breaking practices and the fun of school life when they are not studying. For me the girl’s personal narratives may be considered as diaries for the future.

Through their photographs I want to give women the chance to speak for themselves and avoid misconceptions and misinterpretations. This project allows others to see Muslim women in a very unusual and nuanced way.

l wanted to shed a bit of light and insight into the young girls hearts and minds like me and my twin sister 18 years ago.

l attended a Qur’an school with my twin sister when we were 12, and with this I am able to reveal a world unknown and hidden to many. My project shows not only their journey to become Hafızes, but also how they retain the dreams and adventurous nature of young women their age.