In a first, Zohran Mamdani takes oath as mayor of New York City on Quran

Zohran Mamdani took his midnight oath of office on a centuries-old Quran, marking the first time a mayor of New York City using Islam's holy text to be sworn in and underscoring a series of historic firsts for the city.

Mamdani took oath at a decommissioned subway station in Manhattan in a historic ceremony. “This is truly the honour and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said.

The Indian-origin 34-year-old Democrat was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America's biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath. He also became first South Asian and first African-born person to hold that position.

The swearing-in was administered by by New York Attorney General Letitia James, a political ally, at the old City Hall station, one of the city's original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.

Another swearing-in ceremony, more grander, will take place at City Hall at 1 pm (local time) by US Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the mayor's political heroes. That will be followed by what the new administration is billing as a public block party on a stretch of Broadway known as the “Canyon of Heroes”, famous for its ticker-tape parades.

Takes oath on Quran

Most of Mamdani's predecessors were sworn in on a Bible, although the oath to uphold the federal, state and city constitutions does not require the use of any religious text.

His use of Quran reflects the longstanding and vibrant Muslim residents of the nation's most populous city, according to a scholar who helped Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, select one of the books, AP reported.

Mamdani placed his hand on two Qurans during the subway ceremony: his grandfather's Quran and a pocket-sized version that dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century. It is part of the collection at the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.