Lucrative Antique Islamic Arts Market Draws Money and Criminals
VOICE OF AMERICA
By Dorian Jones |Istanbul
TURKEY - The international market in antique Islamic art is booming, with London and Paris the centers of the trade. A recent sale of a single page from an ancient copy of the Quran made 200,000 euros. But such prices have also brought the unwelcome attention of criminals. Cuma Atabay, the chief of Turkey's Historical Foundations, lists the recent thefts of Islamic art. Among them are carpets hundreds of years old and even a mosque door dating back to the 14th century. [link]
By Dorian Jones |Istanbul
TURKEY - The international market in antique Islamic art is booming, with London and Paris the centers of the trade. A recent sale of a single page from an ancient copy of the Quran made 200,000 euros. But such prices have also brought the unwelcome attention of criminals. Cuma Atabay, the chief of Turkey's Historical Foundations, lists the recent thefts of Islamic art. Among them are carpets hundreds of years old and even a mosque door dating back to the 14th century. [link]