A French auction house has withdrawn from sale a Qur’ān manuscript that was taken from Cairo during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign at the end of the 18th century. Auctioneers Osenat said they had decided not to proceed with the sale in light of strong opposition in Egypt and representations from Cairo’s embassy in Paris.The 47-page manuscript of the opening chapters of the holy book was taken from Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo by a Middle Eastern specialist who accompanied Napoleon on his Egyptian campaign. Egypt’s ambassador to France, Mohamed Moustafa Kamal, thanked Osenat for his understanding. “The withdrawal of the said manuscript from the auction scheduled for June 9 reflects a great understanding of the very high moral and cultural value of this manuscript,” the ambassador wrote in a letter to the auction house.
QUR’ĀN MANUSCRIPT WITHDRAWN FROM SALE AFTER EGYPT PROTESTS
A French auction house has withdrawn from sale a Qur’ān manuscript that was taken from Cairo during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign at the end of the 18th century. Auctioneers Osenat said they had decided not to proceed with the sale in light of strong opposition in Egypt and representations from Cairo’s embassy in Paris.The 47-page manuscript…
