Smallest Quran exhibited in Mascara

MASCARA: A miniature holy Quran, claimed to be the smallest in the world, was exhibited on Sunday, in Mascara, 361 km west of Algiers, the national capital of Algeria.

• The exhibitor, Kerbouche Mohamed told reporters that the book-- two centimetres long and 0.6 centimetres wide, weighting 3.4 grammes, was given to him by his mother as a gift for his wedding in 1987.
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  "She had jealously kept the book since 1967, with a view of giving it to me one day, as a surprise present", said Kerbouche, who hails from Teghennif.
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  He said the miniature book was crafted one century ago, in Cairo (Egypt).
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  Kerbouche believed that the book was "the smallest Holy Quran in the world," as it was smaller than that shown recently by an Arab satellite TV channel.
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  The owner had also another small holy Quran, 2.2 centimetres long, 1.7 centimetres wide and 9 millimetres thick, weighting 3.5 grammes, also made more than one century ago.
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  He said he was willing to donate the second holy Quran to a museum or one of the country''s cultural or scientific institutions.