Iraqi calligrapher completes world’s largest handwritten Quran

A former Iraqi goldsmith has spent six years creating what is believed to be the world’s largest handwritten Quran in Istanbul, producing a manuscript with pages measuring four metres long and 1.5 metres wide. Ali Zaman, born in 1971 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, developed a passion for Islamic calligraphy from a young age. The massive Quran, […]

A former Iraqi goldsmith has spent six years creating what is believed to be the world’s largest handwritten Quran in Istanbul, producing a manuscript with pages measuring four metres long and 1.5 metres wide.

Ali Zaman, born in 1971 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, developed a passion for Islamic calligraphy from a young age.

The massive Quran, which took six years to complete, was written entirely by hand with traditional reed pens in the thuluth script—an Arabic script version of Islamic calligraphy.

Each page, when opened, spans three metres. Zaman avoided modern tools, meticulously crafting every letter himself.

Working alone in a small room at Istanbul’s Mihrimah Sultan Mosque complex, he spent each day on the manuscript, pausing only for meals and prayers.

The project was entirely self-funded. Zaman continued despite serious health challenges, which forced a pause in 2023. (TRT)

Speaking about the project to Anadolu, Zaman said: “It is a joy to create something that few people can do or would even attempt. Every letter reflects the soul and effort put into this work.”

The completed Quran surpasses the previous largest known manuscript, which measured 2.28 metres by 1.55 metres. (TRT)