410-year-old copy of Holy Quran recovered in India

It is said the copy is from the era of Mughal ruler Akbar

A 410-year-old copy of the Holy Quran, dating back to Mughal emporer Akbar’s era, has been recovered in India, The Hindu reported.

Mysuru district police said they recovered the Holy Quran told reporters that a 10-member gang, who had bought it from unidentified persons in Hyderabad. They were trying to sell the copy for a price of INR50 million.

Mysuru district police recover 400-year-old Quran, dating back to Mughal ruler Akbar's period @BloreConnect pic.twitter.com/zGKR4dEvAI

— Laiqh Khan (@LaiqhKhan) August 11, 2015

“When we learnt about them trying to sell the valuable book by sharing videos, a team of policemen approached them posing as prospective buyers,” Mysuru district Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare said.

During a press conference held regarding the recovery, Historian Professor B Sheikh Ali, described the calligraphy in the book as a “piece of art”.

Mysuru district police recover 400-year-old Quran, dating back to Mughal ruler Akbar's period @BloreConnect pic.twitter.com/Lb0Truy85g

— Laiqh Khan (@LaiqhKhan) August 11, 2015

The last page of the 604-page copy bears the year in which it had been written. “It was written in 1050 of the Hijri calendar, which works out to 1605 AD, which is around the period when Mughal rule was its peak in India and the time when Akbar was succeeded by Jehangir,” he said.

Read: British university says its Quran manuscript is among world's oldest

Prof Sheikh Ali went on to say that there is no information except that it is dedicated to the saints of that period

“Though I have seen many copies of the Quran in India, I have not seen one as old as this,” he added.

This article originally appeared on The Hindu