Iraqi Calligrapher Completes Six-Year Project to Create Massive Handwritten Qur’an

Iraqi Calligrapher Completes Six-Year Project to Create Massive Handwritten Qur’an
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Iraqi calligrapher Ali Zaman has completed what is believed to be one of the world’s largest handwritten manuscripts of the Holy Qur’an after six years of continuous work in Istanbul, Arab News reported.

The monumental piece consists of 302 double-sided scrolls, each measuring about four meters long and 1.5 meters wide, all written entirely by hand.

The sheets were specially produced using traditional materials, including eggs, cornstarch and alum, to resemble heavy parchment. Zaman, 54, worked from dawn until dusk in a small room at the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, where the manuscript is now stored and protected from dust and moisture.

Born in Ranya in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, Zaman moved to Türkiye in 2017 with his family to pursue the project, saying Islamic calligraphy is more widely supported and valued there. He first developed an interest in the art at the age of 12.

Art experts describe Islamic calligraphy, known as hat in Turkish, as both an artistic and spiritual practice, rooted in centuries of tradition. While the manuscript has not yet received official recognition, it is being promoted as the largest of its kind.

Zaman hopes the work will eventually be displayed publicly in a museum or cultural institution dedicated to Islamic calligraphy.