Villagers keep 300-year-old Quran under lock and key

SULAYMANIYAH, April 5 — The village of Gol Zarda, located on the outskirts of Sulaymaniyah, houses a three-century-old handwritten Quran. Despite its historical significance, the Quran has been stolen twice, which prompted the villagers to keep it locked in a tightly closed iron cabinet. Surprisingly, the thieves themselves returned the Quran on both occasions.

Ghola Zardi, a historian, told Network 964:
He has devoted years to documenting the history of Gol Zarda. He considers the Quran to be one of the most important historical objects in the village.

The Quran is handwritten, comprising 373 pages, and is distinct from other copies of the Quran in that it does not contain the number of verses.

According to historical accounts, the Quran is about 291 years old.
It was gifted to Sheikh Hassan Ghola Zardi, the village judge at the time, during his visit to Hamadan, Iran, accompanied by the governor of Baghdad.

Sheikh Hassan returned the Quran to the village mosque in 1732 AD.
While the Quran has been stolen twice, the thieves eventually returned it to the village.
The Jenin organization restored the Quran to its original condition in 2014.