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.
• “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.
• He said the miniature book was crafted one century ago, in Cairo (Egypt).
• 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.
• 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.
• He said he was willing to donate the second holy Quran to a museum or one of the country”s cultural or scientific institutions.