LONDON - A 800-year-old iron key to the holy Ka`bah, Islam's most sacred shrine, was sold at 18.1 million dollars at a London auction, setting a new record for an Islamic work of art sale.

"Remarkably, the sale realized more than the Islamic department's annual total in 2007," Edward Gibbs, head of the Islamic art department at Sotheby's auction house, told Reuters on Thursday, April 10.

Made of iron, the 37-cm-long key prompted a heated bidding battle before being sold anonymously at 9.2 million pounds ($18.1 million), more than 18 times its pre-sale estimate.

The key, formerly in a private collection in Lebanon, dates back to the Abbasid period in the 12th century.

"This is what was made for the Holy House of Allah during the time of our lord the Imam son of Imam al-Muqtadi Abu Ja'far al-Mustansir Abu'l-Abbas 573," reads the inscription on the key.

Art & Culture: Islamic Views (Folder)
London's prominent public sale house said the ancient key's significance lies in the tradition of dedicating it to each Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.

"It demonstrates the authority of the caliph and is the ultimate emblem of power."

The key is the second-earliest of only 58 known examples and the only known example to remain in private hands.

Others are in the European and Middle Eastern museums collections.

The Ka`bah, the direction world Muslims take in their daily prayers, is the first and the most ancient house of worship ever built.

Some experts say it was first built by Prophet Adam while others say it was first built by the Angels on this earth.

So by facing Ka`bah in prayers, Muslims are stressing the unity of humankind under the Lordship of the One and only God.

[b]Growing Interest
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The key was the highlight of Sotheby's Islamic sale, which realized 21.5 million pounds, in excess of the pre-sale estimate of 13.1 million pounds.

"It demonstrates beyond doubt the burgeoning and international demand for Islamic Art," said Gibbs.

The key set a new record for an Islamic work of art at auction.

The previous record was for a bronze fountainhead in the form of a hind dating from mid-10th century Al-Andalus.

It was sold at Christie's, another leading fine arts auction house in London, in 1997 for 3.6 million pounds.

Setting record numbers was marking a week of Islamic art sales.

On Tuesday, Christie's held its own London Islamic sale which fetched 11.8 million pounds.

A leaf from an ancient Qur'an was sold at 2.5 million pounds (4.9 million dollars), from pre-sale estimate of between 100,000 and 150,000 pounds.

Dated to the middle of the seventh century, the leaf is one of the earliest fragments of the Qur'an ever produced, the auction house affirmed.

Christie's said the sale set a world record for an Islamic manuscript at auction.

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