Rare Qurans Go On Display in Riyadh

An exhibit of rare Qurans has gone on display in Riyadh. The collection of 267 Qurans, and 20 valuable museum copies, most of which were written from the 15th to the 19th centuries, first went on display on Thursday at King Abdulaziz Public Library. The books are categorized by type of calligraphic script, region, date copied, or the manner in which it is decorated. Meanwhile, a Moroccan contestant, Younes Mustapha Gharbi, won the first-place prize of $1.33 million in the category of recitation of the Holy Quran in the international Saudi competition “Otr Elkalam” ( or Scent of Speech), which gathers talented people with beautiful voices in reciting the Quran and performing adhan, the Saudi General Entertainment Authority announced Wednesday. More than 40,000 applicants from 80 countries around the world participated in the initial qualifiers, and 36 contestants reached the final qualifiers, with 18 contestants in the recitation category, and 18 others in the call to prayer category.