The big history of Albania's tiny Quran - in pictures

A small discovery led Mario Prushi's Catholic family to convert to Islam

Mario Prushi holds in his hand one of the smallest Koran (Islam's holy book), of a postage-stamp size with a cover crafted from gold embroidered velvet, in Tirana, Albania, on April 17, 2023. - The ritual is always the same. Mario Prushi carefully washes his hands and face before kissing and pressing one of the world’s smallest Korans to his forehead. For generations, the postage-stamp sized book has been passed down in his family -- surviving authoritarian governments, war, and the perils of time. (Photo by Adnan Beci / AFP)

Scholars say it is one of the smallest Qurans on record, with the minuscule holy book held inside a silver case blackened with age.

The small Quran measures two centimetres wide and one centimetre thick.

Elton Karaj, a researcher in Quranic studies at Beder University in Tirana, says "From its appearance, its publication dates back to the end of the 19th century."

It was found by Mr Prushi's great-great-grandparents when digging the ground for a new house in Kosovo. The family took the discovery as a divine sign and embraced Islam.

"They found the perfectly preserved body of a man buried there," says Mr Prushi. "The Quran was found intact laying over his heart."

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