China's oldest Koran manuscript to be repaired in Qinghai

China will repair its oldest manuscript of the Koran, said the Cultural Relics Bureau of Qinghai Province recently.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage has allocated 440,000 yuan to repair the manuscript and specialists from the Nanjing Museum will travel to Qinghai to assist in its restoration.

This version of the Koran has thirty volumes and is kept in a mosque in Qinghai province. It is believed the Koran was brought into China from Central Asia 700 years ago.

Specialists say the book was written in the 14th century or earlier. However, poor management and the absence of conservation practices have placed the book in danger of being stolen and of rotting.

By People's Daily Online