Portion of world's largest Quran by a Pakistani put on display at Dubai Expo

Artist Shahid Rassam said 15 kilograms of aluminum and more than 1 kilogram of gold were used to cast surah Al-Rahman

KARACHI:

A portion of the world's largest Quran was unveiled recently at Dubai Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), attracting crowds to see the rare artwork.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood along with the country’s Ambassador to the UAE Afzaal Mahmood, senior Expo officials and diplomats inaugurated the work by renowned Pakistani artist Shahid Rassam, according to a statement.

Cast on canvas with aluminum and gold-plated script, surah Al-Rahman, or chapter of The Beneficent, is on display at the Pakistan Pavilion. Rassam and more than 200 associates have been working since 2017 to prepare what he said is the world’s largest copy of the Quran. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2026. Rassam told reporters that the artifact is unique and innovative from various aspects.

"I have not written the Holy Quran with color or ink. The words are cast on canvas with aluminum and gold-plated words for the first time in Islamic history," he said. 

The project is featured on six pages that took four months to complete. Rassam said 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of aluminum and more than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of gold were used to cast surah Al-Rahman on a special canvas.

The work, measuring 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) long and 6.5 feet (2 meters) wide, is poised to break the record held by another copy of the Muslim holy book that is at 6.5 feet and 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) that was prepared in Afghanistan in 2017 and is housed at the Kul Sharif Mosque in the Russian city of Kazan.

The Karachi-based artist said his work was inspired by Turkish, Arabic and Iranian art designs. More than 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of gold, 2,000 kilograms of aluminum and 600 canvas rolls will be used to cast 77,430 words on 550 pages.

To illuminate and enrich the design, precious stones like rubies, sapphires and emeralds will also be used, he said. An Italian glazing technique and acrylic colors have been used to develop the design as it can last for hundreds of years, he said.