عربي دولي

China Holds 'World's Oldest Manuscript of the Holy Quran'

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Al-Anbat – Karam Al Hjouj

The earliest Holy Quran manuscript discovered in China to date is kept at the Jihtsi Mosque in the Xinhua Autonomous Prefecture of Salar in northwest China's Qinghai Province, according to China Daily.

The history of this copy of the Holy Qur'an, written in the realized script, dates back to between the eighth and thirteenth centuries AD and was brought to China by the Salar nation's ancestors who migrated from Central Asia about 800 years ago and settled in the province, according to academic studies and research.

The cover of this 867 page Qur'anic manuscript, divided into 30 volumes, was made of rhinoceros leather, and each volume was wrapped in blue silk.

The text is a testament to the history of Salar's nationalism as well as the history of cultural contact between China and the Middle East and Central Asia, according to Han Yi Si Ha, director of the mosque's management committee.

In 2007, China allocated funds and organized Chinese experts specializing in the restoration of paper artifacts to carry out the restoration of this manuscript.

The Holy Quran was placed in a special glass cabinet with a system of control over the oxygen level, temperature, and humidity for preservation after it was listed as one of the "National Precious Ancient Works" in 2009, and a special museum was established for it in the Jihtsi Mosque that same year.

The mosque also has multiple copies of the Holy Quran on exhibit, many of which were subsequently penned and printed in the region and feature traditional Chinese calligraphy.

The population of the Salar nation represents 60 percent of the population of Xinhua Province in the east of Qinghai Province, most of whom believe in the religion of Islam, have lived generation after generation in the province, and throughout the long history have conducted an exchange and integration with the Hui, Tibet, Han and other nationalities, which is a typical example of the unity of nationalities of the Chinese nation.


 
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