Germany returns two rare manuscripts of Holy Quran to Iran

[AndrewJin]

http://www.tehrantimes.com/news/404551/Germany-returns-two-rare-manuscripts-of-Holy-Quran-to-Iran

The manuscripts, which belonged to an Iranian collector living in Germany, were handed over to Iran’s Counsel General Abdollah Nekunam in the presence of the Deputy Director General of the Bavarian State Library at Munich, Klaus Ceynowa.

The two precious items are due to be displayed at the National Museum of Iran based on the collector’s personal will, Persian media reported on Saturday.

The manuscripts belonged to an Iranian private collector who was living in Munich since 1962 and died in 1997 at the age of 86. No name has been given for the collector.

But after his death, his children discovered that some of the invaluable items were missing and informed the police.

The items including 174 precious objects were later discovered at the house of an Iranian-German engineer (no name given) by the police.

The heir also donated two other precious manuscripts to the Bavarian State Library for their great help.

The collector’s children still believe a rare manuscript by Hafez dating back 550 years and valued at over 1 million euro is still missing.

Photo: Iran’s Counsel General Abdollah Nekunam (R) receives one of the manuscripts from an unidentified German official in Munich.

 

[AndrewJin]

Two missing ancient Quran manuscripts delivered in Munich
According to IBNA correspondent, quoting from the Public Relations Department of National Library and Archives Organisation of Iran (NLAI), these two ancient manuscripts of the Holy Quran which were delivered to the Consul General of Iran last Thursday.

These works belonged to an Iranian collector who lived in Munich since 1962 and had gathered a valuable collection of Iranian and Islamic manuscripts and put them up for auction occasionally to live with their income.

When the collector died in 2007, his children found that some works from his rich collection had disappeared. They first referred to a private detector, and after more research, the case was referred to the Bavarian State Police. After several years of research in Germany and abroad, the experts at the Bavarian State Police became suspicious of an Iranian-German engineer who visited this collector near the end of his life and tended to his work.

In December 2011, the officers at the State Police found 174 precious works, while searching the house of this engineer, worth over three million Euros. He admitted to stealing antique works in the court in March 2016 and was sentenced to prison by the court.