TEHRAN -- A unique handwritten copy of the Holy Quran transcribed in the 13th century has been returned to its original home in the Astan-e Qods Library in Mashhad.

The priceless copy was transcribed in the 13th century and around the same time was donated to the library by Norasti Bent Ali ibn-Mohammad, known as Salah Neishaburi, head of the library announced on Saturday.
Mohammadreza Fazel Hashemi added that the Holy Book had been removed from the library many years ago for reasons which remain unspecified and was kept by a family in their house.
It was recently handed over to a team of inscription experts and was later returned to the library, he added.
The copy is invaluable and of an exceptional type, many of its pages being illuminated and having its fifth joz (part) inscribed in the nosakh style of calligraphy.
The Astan-e Qods Razavi Library, which is adjacent to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) houses over 78,000 copies of rare Islamic manuscripts