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Iraqi calligrapher Ali Zaman gazes with pride at his masterpiece, a massive handwritten manuscript of the Quran that took six years of time and effort to complete.
The finished work consists of 302 double-sided scrolls, each 4 meters (13 feet) long and 1.5 meters wide. The sheets, which resemble heavy parchment, were custom-made for Zaman and incorporate traditional materials such as eggs, cornstarch and alum.
“Whenever I think of this Quran… it gives me a very beautiful feeling: the great God Gave me life to be able to do this, to get it done. I’m very proud,” the 54-year-old told The Associated Press at a mosque in Istanbul where the manuscript is kept.
Islam Calligraphy is considered one of the most valuable artistic traditions in the Muslim world. This art form was used to preserve and beautify Islam’s holy books and was later used to decorate mosques, palaces and manuscripts.
exist turkeyits peak period ottoman empire A time when art was supported by the state and calligraphers developed unique styles.
today, Istanbul Considered an important art center, it is called “Hat” in Turkish.
Art expert Umit Coskunsu said calligraphy became a core form of artistic expression due to Islamic tradition’s restrictions on depicting figures. He describes “hatting” as a form of worship.
“Hat art is more than just calligraphy, it is seen as a way to worship God and be close to God,” Coskunsu said.
Zaman was born in Raniya, a small town in Sulaymaniyah province, a semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.
In 2017, he moved his family to Istanbul to pursue a Quran project and hone his craft because, he says, the art of calligraphy is more valued in Turkey than in his home country.
Zaman said he became interested in Islamic calligraphy around the age of 12, when he first encountered it in Iraq.
“The art of calligraphy is very attractive to me… I feel like I can find my soul in it,” he said.
Each manuscript is entirely handwritten. For six years, Zaman said, he worked from morning to night in a small room reserved for him in the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Istanbul.
The manuscript is reputed to be the largest in the world, although it has not yet been officially recognized. According to Guinness World Records, the largest printed Quran was achieved in March 2025 by the Quran Museum in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Zaman’s son remembers his father’s long absences while he was involved in the project.
“We only see him when we bring him food or when he comes home to sleep at night,” Rekar Zaman said. “Thank God we can see more of him now.”
The manuscript was stored in the mosque where he composed it, in the form of stacked scrolls and protected from dust and moisture.
His ultimate wish is to sell it to a buyer who can show it publicly.
“I would like this Quran to be in a country – in a museum, or in a place particularly suitable for calligraphy – where it can be appreciated and valued,” Zaman said.
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Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser contributed from Ankara, Türkiye.