Al-Quran Al-Akbar

Al-Quran Al-Akbar at Gandus in Palembang is a complete Quran carved in relief into panels of tembesu, a local hardwood, and mounted in racks that fill a three-storey building - some six hundred and thirty pages carved on both faces, each panel about a metre and a half by eighty centimetres, gilded and coloured, with Palembang-style carved borders framing the text. The work was conceived by a local calligrapher, Sofwatillah Mohzaib, and took around seven years from 2002, with a team of carvers and checking by religious scholars at each stage. It is claimed as the largest carved Quran in the world. The building is open to visitors of any faith and the carving process is explained; a workshop on site continues to produce carved panels and calligraphy.

What you actually see

• 630 carved wooden pages - the complete text in relief on tembesu hardwood.
• Three storeys of racks - the panels mounted to be read floor by floor.
• Palembang carving borders - the local decorative vocabulary framing the text.
• A working workshop - carving and calligraphy still produced on site.

When to go

All year. An hour or two.

Honest expectations

It is one object, remarkable but singular - two hours is generous. Modest dress is expected. It is out of the centre and needs a taxi. Explanation is largely in Indonesian.

Nearby

The Ampera bridge and the Musi waterfront are east.