Some people are surprised to discover that the Virgin Mary is esteemed within Islam. One of the longest chapters of the Muslim Holy Book, the Koran, is devoted to Mary (Miriam, or Maryam in Arabic). For centuries, Muslims have visited Marian shrines, witnessed apparitions, and named their female children after Maryam, who, according to the Koran, achieved a level of perfection that no other woman attained.