The Art Newspaper announced that the 12th century key to the door of the Holy Kaaba in Mecca, which became the most expensive Islamic work of art ever sold at auction when it made £9.2m at Sotheby’s Arts of the Islamic World sale in London on 9 April 2008, is probably a fake.

This conclusion is based on the findings two experts whom thoroughly examined the rarity. Just after the auction, doubts were already expressed by a prominent Islamic art dealer, whom based his certainty on the fact that there was an inconsistency in the translation and wording of the Kufic inscription on the key.

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