800-year-old Kaabah

Thursday, 10 December 2009 03:51

A 13th century key to the Kaabah, the holiest site of Islam and found in Saudi Arabia, has been withdrawn from an auction in Istanbul, the auction house said Tuesday.

The Abbasid-era iron key was removed from the upcoming Dec. 13 auction because the "sale might be inconvenient," the Portakal Arts and Culture House said.

No pre-sales estimate had been set for the key. The priceless key would be given back to its anonymous owner, the auction house said.

There are 59 recorded Kaabah keys. Fifty-four are at the Topkapı Palace Museum in Istanbul, two are in the private Nuhad Es-Said Collection, one is at the Louvre in Paris and one is at the Islamic Art Museum in Cairo.

The key is engraved with a verse from the Koran.

A Kaabah key was most recently put up for auction last year. An anonymous buyer purchased the key for $18.1 million at a Sotheby's auction in London on April 18, 2008