Dubai : An auction to raise money for books for refugee children raised more than $11 million in Dubai, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
The auction witnessed the sale of a more than 100-year-old cover (kiswa) from the Holy Kaaba.
The piece, woven with gold and silver, sold for $572,000. It came from the private collection of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Al-Maktoum.
An early 19th Century Indian-Mogul manuscript of the Qur’an and a 17th Century handwritten copy each sold for $68,000.
The Reading Nation Ramadan campaign, organized by Dubai as a charity initiative during the Muslim holy month, aims to donate 7.3 million books and establish 2,000 school libraries in Arab countries and refugee camps.—AG/IINA