Georgian Translation of Quran Unveiled at Tehran Int’l Quran Exhibition
Publish Date: 6/28/2016 Code: 52089

Georgian Translation of Quran Unveiled at Tehran Int’l Quran Exhibition

A new rendering of the Holy Quran in Georgian was unveiled on June 24 in a ceremony held at the 24th Tehran International Quran Exhibition.

 

The program was attended by Imamqoli Batwani, the translator of the work, Akbar Muqaddasi, its editor, Abulqasim Iraji, vice deputy and secretary of the exhibition’s Policy-making and Planning Council as well as a number of Quran activists and visitors.

Addressing the ceremony, Moqaddasi discussed the status of the Georgian language, saying that it is the official language of Georgia and spoken by about 10 million people.

He said that the Holy Quran was briefly translated into Georgian in the 14th century for the first time and that a translation of the entire Book was done 106 years ago not from the original Arabic but from a French rendering.

Some other renderings of parts of the Quran into Georgian were also presented later on, he added.

The new translation by Mr. Batwani started 15 years ago and after 10 years of work it was ready for editing, he said.

He noted that it was very difficult to translate the Holy Quran into Georgian since there is no dictionary of religious terms available in this language.

The translation was first edited within three years by a team of experts comprising an Islamologist and two Georgian linguists and it was published after a final edition.

The editor of the translation went on to say that in further editions of the work more explanations will be added for some of the verses and Quranic terms.

The translator also addressed the program, saying that it is the right of every nation to have a rendering of the Holy Quran in their mother tongue.

He added that his objective was to disseminate the Quranic teachings among the speakers of the Georgian language.

Islam in Georgia was introduced in 654. Currently, Muslims constitute 10 to 13 percent of the Georgian population.

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