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GB British Library
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SV Sheikh Al-Hazar arriving
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SV Sheikh Al-Hazar looking at Qur'an
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CU Manuscripts on display (9 shots)
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SCU Sheikh Al Hazar touring exhibition
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SV Other visitors touring exhibition
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GV Mosque under construction
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CU Poster "International Islamic Conference"
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SV Moslems at prayer (2 shots)
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Initials BB/0101 YA/PN/BB/0120



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: An exhibition of ancient manuscripts of the Qur'an (Koran), the Islamic scripture, was opened in London on Friday (2 April) by Cheikh Al-Hazar, rector of the world's oldest university -- Cairo.

The Sheikh, a leading authority on the Qur'an, toured the exhibition, which brings together some of the most magnificent Islamic manuscripts for the first time.

The exhibition is being regarded as the cornerstone of a three-month festival of Islamic art and culture which started in London this week.

It contains 150 of the finest examples of hand-illustrated Qur'an manuscripts over put on show.

Most of than have been brought over from the Middle East and have never before been displayed to the public. None has ever been seen in the West.

With the festival now open, there is an influx of high officials from many Moslem countries to London.

Most of them went to north London for congregational Friday prayers which were said in a temporary building near a mosque now under construction. The building was unable to accommodate all the visitors and many had to stay outside.

SYNOPSIS: The British Library in London, where Sheikh Al-Hazar. rector of Cairo University, opened an exhibition of ancient manuscripts of the Qur'an, the Islamic scripture. The Sheikh, a leading authority on the Qur'an, toured the exhibition which brings together some of the most magnificent Islamic manuscripts for the first time. It contains 150 of the finest hand-illustrated examples of the Qur'an ever put on show. Most of them have been brought over from the Middle East and have never before been displayed to the public. None has ever been seen in the West.

The exhibition is being regarded as the cornerstone of a three-month festival of Islamic art and culture which started in London this week.

With the festival now open, there is an influx of high officials from many Moslem countries to London. Most of them went to north London for congregational Friday payers which were said in a temporary building near a mosque now under construction. The building was unable to accommodate all the visitors and many had to stay outside.