LITHUANIA: The first translation of the Holy Koran into the Lithuanian language selling well in Vilnius

Record ID: 790475

  • Title: LITHUANIA: The first translation of the Holy Koran into the Lithuanian language selling well in Vilnius
  • Date: 5th September 2008
  • Summary: (MER-1) VILNIUS, LITHUANIA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF SHOPPING CENTRE IN WHICH THE BOOK SHOP SELLING THE FIRST VERSION HOLY KORAN TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE INTERIOR OF BOOK SHOP SELLING THE FIRST VERSION HOLY KORAN TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE LITHUANIAN LANGUAGE YOUNG WOMAN PASSING COPIES OF FIRST VERSION HOLY KORAN TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE LITHUA
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lithuania
  • Country: Lithuania
  • Topics: Religion
  • Reuters ID: LVA2QA8DZNXB0HX7FUW50DGL8TU9
  • Story Text: The first Lithuanian language version of the Holy Koran has been on sale in Lithuanian bookshops since August.
    Commercial manager of one branch of the Baltos Lankos book shop chain Viktorija Toliusyte said the translation had proved to be very popular with buyers coming into the Vilnius store where she works. "At the moment it ranks third place among most popular books in our book shop," she said.
    A copy of the Holy Koran translation costs 93 litas (40 USD). Despite the relatively high cost of the book a third of available copies have already been sold.
    In all, 1,000 copies of the Lithuanian translation of the Holy Koran have been published.
    Renowned Lithuanian poet and translator Sigitas Geda has translated the Holy Koran into the Lithuanian language.
    Geda said he had been primarily interested in the poetry of the Holy Koran. "During a long period of my life I was attracted to Islamic poetry and poetry was the thing I was looking for in the Koran in the first place," Geda said.
    Geda said he had referred to Russian, Latvian, Polish, German and English translations of the Holy Koran as he translated from the original. It took him seven years to finish the translation.
    The head of the Centre of African and Asian Studies of Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, Associate Professor Egdunas Racius said the availability of a Lithuanian translation of the Holy Koran makes it easier for Lithuanians to familiarise themselves with the Muslim religion and culture.

    "It provides a unique chance for Lithuanians to familiarise themselves with Islam, to learn more about this religion and, potentially, with the culture," he said.
    About 10,000 Muslims live in Lithuania, Racius said. Of these 1,000 are practising Muslims, he said.
    Turkic Tatars were the first Muslims to come to Lithuania in the 14th century.
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