India, Feb. 1 -- Iraqi calligrapher Ali Zaman gazes with pride at his masterpiece - a colossal, handwritten manuscript of the Quran that has taken six years of craft and devotion to complete. The finished work consists of 302 double-sided scrolls, each measuring 4 metres (13 feet) in length and 1.5 metres in width. The sheets, resembling heavy parchment, were custom-made for Zaman with a blend of traditional materials including eggs, corn starch and alum.

"Anytime I think of this Quran it gives me a very nice feeling that the mighty God gave me the life to be able to finish this thing and complete it. I feel very proud," the 54-year-old told The Associated Press at a mosque in Istanbul where the manuscript is kept. Islamic calligraphy is...