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Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (right) escorts the Prophet Muhammad's cup and carpets from an airport to Grozny central mosque on Thursday (AFP)
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov broke into floods of tears as he unveiled a purported relic of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) at a ceremony, reports said on Thursday.
The government of the majority Muslim Russian Northern Caucasus region, raised the 1,400-year-old cup which believed to be belonged to the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
The cup had earlier been flown into the Chechen capital Grozny from London where it was kept by unnamed descendants of Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) cousin and fourth Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Kadyrov triumphantly carried the boxed relic straight off the plane at the airport to the ceremony on Wednesday.
The flag-waving delegation then arrived to Grozny's central mosque greeted by a crowd of singing and clapping people.
The Chechen leader then proceeded to take the jade-coloured bowl out of bubble wrapping, and broke down in uncontrollable tears after kissing the object, covering his reddening face and shaking violently.
The Chechen government said in a statement on its website that "the cup was used by Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), passing to his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib."
Anyone will be able to drink water from it on the day of Prophet Mohammed's (PBUH) birthday, the Chechen government said.
Kadyrov, who has ruled the region since 2007 and was reappointed in earlier this year, has overseen several grandiose projects and events in Grozny.
He has also encouraged the revival of Islam in the region, inaugurating in 2008 the "Heart of Chechnya" mosque, said to be the biggest in Europe.
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