Sharjah’s 11-day book fair is bound to attract more visitors this year, especially to Hall number 5.
Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) this year displays the replica of one of the oldest manuscripts of the Quran — more than 1,350 years old.
The four page manuscript wad housed at UK’s University of Birmingham; the work is a copy of the original that has been carbon-dated to 468-645AD. The original manuscript has been in the passion of the University since the 1930’s. A professor, of the late noticed the difference in the bindings of the manuscript when compared with other existing ones, had determined its origin. On carbon dating, the manuscript dated back to at least more than 1,350 years old and has been written on animal skin ensuring its longevity.
What is in fact an interesting certainty is that, the four pages of the University of Birmingham’s script correspond with four missing pages of a rare Quran script archived in Paris. Although the manuscripts in the Paris museum had not been subjected to carbon dating, which would help verify if both the manuscript are one and the same.
At the Quran stand, located in Hall 5, there are also interactive touch screens that allow visitors to explore the background, details and facts regarding the manuscript.
The University of Birmingham Quran’s manuscript will be on display in the Quran stand located in hall number 5, throughout the 11-day fair, which ends on November 11.
This year’s edition of the world’s third largest book fair is witnessing the participation of 1,650 publishing houses from 60 countries. More than 1.5 million titles are on display at the event.
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