Prayer beads worth $70m in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: If you thought a Merc in solid white gold or a diamond-studded abaya defined the height of luxury, think again.

A $60,000 (about Dh220,386) string of exquisite prayer beads made of black gold is making heads turn in Abu Dhabi.

The beads are among 400 rare and expensive prayer beads dating back to the Ottoman era.

On display at the Emirates Palace Hotel, the $70 million collection is owned by Turkish businessman Berat Serdar Neziroglu.

Biggest collection

“My father had around 500 roasaries in his personal collection. I have 5,000 now, all hand-made by artisans from Turkey,” Neziroglu told XPRESS.

Among the pieces on display is a string of $40,000 prayer beads in ivory with portraits of 36 Ottoman rulers finely carved on one side and their signatures and period on the throne engraved on the other.

An antique piece in pure amber and claimed to be more than 300 years old costs $30,000 (Dh110,192).

Priced between $1,000 and $60,000, the prayer beads are made of precious metals and stones including gold, silver, diamonds, ruby and emerald. There are also rosaries made of exotic things like whale’s neck bone, whale’s tooth, hippopotamus tooth and turtle’s shell.

intricate art

The owners’ son Serkan who runs a tespih (rosary) shop in Ankara, said the making of some of the rosaries takes up to four months.

“We are hoping to attract the rich and famous in the UAE through this first-ever exhibition of tespih.

“Our clientele include rulers and super rich from different parts of the Middle East and Europe,” Serkan said on the sidelines of the exhibition.

The exhibition opened on March 31 and will continue until June 30.