A virtual exhibition of some of the world's oldest and most sacred religious texts is to be launched in the city.

Leicester is one of just a handful of places chosen to showcase Sacred on Location, the British Library's most successful exhibition to date.

Visitors to Leicester Central Lending Library will be able to virtually leaf through some of the world's most important and beautiful religious texts, including exquisite and rare examples from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths.

There will be interactive scripts of some of the world's most precious Hebrew and Christian Bibles and Qur'ans, plus Hindu and Buddhist texts.

Leicester is one of nine cities to host the event, which runs for three weeks from Friday.

Adrian Wills, head of libraries and information services in Leicester, said Leicester has been chosen because of its strong multi-faith community.

He said: "Leicester is a brilliant place to show a lot of things about different religions are the same.

"We'd like to encourage lots of people to come to the library to have a look round.

"The interactive aspect is really interesting – it's as if you're actually turning a page.

"It's applied to ancient and beautiful objects and scripts that are hundreds and hundreds of years old, which is quite special."

The exhibition will give people in Leicester the opportunity to see the texts on a computer, as the actual books, which are kept at the British Library in London, cannot be moved due to their age.

In addition to the interactive element, the touring programme will include various events such as multi-faith workshops for primary and secondary schools, as well as story-telling and crafts activities for family and community groups.

It is designed to appeal to people of faith as well as those who have no religious belief.

The St Philip's Centre, a multi-faith organisation in North Evington, is co-ordinating several events.

Riaz Ravat, faith training development manager at the centre, said the virtual element will make the exhibition appealing to a wider audience.

He said: "This gives the people of Leicester the chance to find out about different faiths in a creative way.

"I think if this hadn't come to Leicester, it would have been an absolute travesty, being the leading multi-faith city in the country."

The exhibition has already visited Sheffield, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester, and will continue to Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool and Sunderland after it leaves Leicester.

There will be a number of free workshops running.

To find out more, contact the Central Lending Library, in Belvoir Street, on 0116 299 5402, or visit the website.