>>
>>Thieves steal medieval Koran
>>http://www.canoe.com/TopStories/koran_sep3.html
>>
>>ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) -- Authorities launched an international search
>Friday for a 15th century
>>Koran stolen from Turkey's Topkapi Palace, alerting museums, galleries and
>collectors.
>>With no sign of forced entry and even more valuable items left behind,
>some suspected the theft may
>>have been commissioned by a connoisseur of Islamic art.
>>"The Koran may have been a missing piece in someone's collection," said
>Ozgen Acar, an expert on
>>Turkish antiquities.
>>Thieves got away with the handwritten Islamic holy book sometime between
>closing time Wednesday and
>>opening Thursday at the museum.
>>The Koran was removed from a sealed glass case at the palace. A number of
>old Turkish miniature
>>paintings and calligraphy on display in the same room were not taken.
>>Police were questioning museum officials. Authorities put out alerts with
>Interpol and in the art
>>world.
>>"We have asked everyone to be vigilant," said Abdullah Dortlemez of the
>Culture Ministry.
>>Authorities broadly estimated the holy book's value between $5,000 and
>$50,000.
>>The Koran is not the most valued item at the palace. Its imperial treasury
>room houses rubies,
>>emeralds and one of the world's largest diamonds.
>>"This suggests that the thieves were looking for that Koran in
>particular," Acar said.
>>He said the missing book was probably destined for a buyer abroad, where
>Islamic art can fetch a
>>lot of money.
>>
>>____________________________________________________
>>
>>--------------------------------------------
>>http://museum-security.org/
>>The Museum Security Network is made possible
>>by generous sponsorship grants by Mosler Inc
>>(http://www.mosler.com/),
>>and the Netherlands Museums Association
>>(http://www.museumvereniging.nl/)
>>---------------------------------------------------
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Dona S. Straley
Associate Professor and Middle East Studies Librarian
308 Main Library, The Ohio State University
1858 Neil Ave. Mall
Columbus, OH 43210-1286
614-688-8796 (ph.)
614-292-1918 (fax)
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