  We describe an approach to the quantization of (2+1)--dimensional gravity
with topology R x T^2 and negative cosmological constant, which uses two
quantum holonomy matrices satisfying a q--commutation relation. Solutions of
diagonal and upper--triangular form are constructed, which in the latter case
exhibit additional, non--trivial internal relations for each holonomy matrix.
This leads to the notion of quantum matrix pairs. These are pairs of matrices
with non-commuting entries, which have the same pattern of internal relations,
q-commute with each other under matrix multiplication, and are such that
products of powers of the matrices obey the same pattern of internal relations
as the original pair. This has implications for the classical moduli space,
described by ordered pairs of commuting SL(2,R) matrices modulo simultaneous
conjugation by SL(2,R) matrices.
