Hamdi Dindirek
28 October 2025•Update: 28 October 2025
ISTANBUL
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 4 meters long and 1.5 meters wide.
Ali Zaman, born in 1971 in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, developed a passion for Islamic calligraphy from a young age.
After leaving his trade as a jeweler in 2013, he dedicated himself fully to the art.
In 2017, Zaman moved with his family to Istanbul’s Fatih district to further his work.
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 meters. 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.
He has won multiple international awards, including first prizes in thuluth and naskh calligraphy in Syria, Malaysia, Iraq, and Türkiye.
He holds an authorization (ijazah) in calligraphy from prominent masters and received a “Distinction” award in 2017 at Türkiye’s International Hilye-i Serif Competition from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
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.”
His son, Rekar Zaman, said the family moved to Türkiye because the country values calligraphy and Islamic art more than Iraq.
He added that sourcing suitable materials during the COVID-19 pandemic was particularly challenging, but the family persevered.
The completed Quran surpasses the previous largest known manuscript, which measured 2.28 meters by 1.55 meters.
The family plans to preserve the manuscript carefully and hopes it will remain in Türkiye, reflecting the country’s historic tradition of calligraphy.
