Saturday, April 12, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 5,1429    

Kaaba’s 12th century key auctioned for $18m

Islamabad—A 12th Century key to Islam’s holiest shrine has sold at auction in London for œ9.2m ($18.1m). The key to the Kaaba - the ancient cube-shaped shrine in Makkah - went to an anonymous bidder at Sotheby’s.

The auction house said the price set a record for the sale of an Islamic work of art,BBC reported.

Made of iron and measuring 37cm (15in) in length, the key is engraved with the words “This was made for the Holy House of God”.

The key was the centrepiece of Sotheby’s Islamic art sale, which realised more than œ21.5m ($40m) in total.

Head of Sotheby’s Islamic art department Edward Gibbs said: “Remarkably, the sale realised more than the Islamic department’s annual total for 2007, demonstrating beyond doubt the burgeoning and international demand for Islamic art.”

The key is the only known example to be in private hands. All of the other 58 Kaaba keys are in museums.—AP