Rare Koran sells for £230k at an auction in Exeter

A Koran which had been expected to raise £1,500 at auction was sold for £230,000

A Koran that had been expected to raise £1,500 at auction has sold for nearly a quarter of a million pounds.

The rare 410-page book by 19th Century calligrapher Yahya Hilmi Efendi was bought for £230,000 by an unnamed overseas buyer.

A "pocket" Koran, thought to be written by the female calligrapher Shah Umm Salamah, fetched £18,000.

Both works, which were gifted to the vendor from their employer 20 years ago, were sold in Exeter, Devon.

Auctioneer Richard Bearne, of Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewoods, said the book was believed to have been written around 1876 in Instanbul, formerly Constantinople.

"It sold well principally because of the rarity of it - works by this person are terribly rare.

"When you get approached by people looking to acquire objects before a sale it's always a good sign.

"There were two wealthy collectors going head-to-head and that's all you need to get a high price".

In 2014, it was reported a torn page of a Koran, which was estimated to raise up to $60 (about £40), was sold for $86,000 (about £55,765).