His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday opened the Prophet Hud Shrine in Jerash Governorate, which was implemented as part of a renovation plan for mosques and shrines of prophets and Prophet Mohammad's companions that covered 35 sites so far.

The King also examined an advanced copy of Al Bayt Al Sharif edition of the Holy Koran and gave the go-ahead to mass publish the copy. A final check of the text, spelling and signs related to recital rules was conducted by a committee of experts.

Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Fattah Salah said the ministry will print the copies during the next few days to be distributed to mosques and Islamic centres inside the Kingdom and abroad.

The minister said the specialized committee supervising the production of the edition endorsed the copy as flawless and aptly revised and laid out.

The copy, which was handwritten by Jordanian calligrapher Shukri Khaldi, took four years of revision, double-checking and ornamentation using Islamic art styles.

The project was completed at a total cost of JD420,000.

The shrine includes a mosque, a hall for Koran studies and a prayer room for women, in addition to other facilities.

Architects also took into consideration the archaeological aspect of the site and so a structure was built over a cave Prophet Hud is believed to have taken refuge in and when he died, he was buried there.

According to the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Jordan is host to 32 shrines of prophets, companions and other religious sites, in addition to several palaces built by Muslim leaders throughout Islamic history.

The renovation plan has covered so far about 35 sites across the Kingdom at a total cost of JD26 million.