An Egyptian artist who educated himself after dropping out of school has spent three years creating what he hopes is the world's biggest Quran.

Saad Mohammed rolls down the handwritten Quran he hopes will earn a place in the Guinness Book of Records (Reuters)

Saad Mohammed, who has hand-painted Islamic motifs on the walls and ceilings of his home in the town of Belqina, north of Cairo, has reproduced the Muslim holy book on a paper scroll 700 metres (2,300 feet) long.

Saad Mohammed reads from another Quran that he has handwritten (Reuters)

He displays the intricately decorated manuscript in a large wooden box with rollers at each end.

The high school drop out pays for all his costly art materials himself (Reuters)

“This Quran is 700 metres long, and of course that's a large amount of paper,” he told Reuters Television. “I self-funded this project for the past three years - and I'm an average person. I don't have assets or anything.”

The labour of love took more than three years to create (Reuters)

Mr Mohammed wants to submit his Quran for inclusion in Guinness World Records. Guinness says that while there is a record for the world's biggest printed Quran, there is so far no record holder for the largest handwritten version.

Saad Mohammed writes as he sits on the floor of his studio (Reuters)

Mr Mohammed says he is hoping for help with the costs of applying to Guinness from the government or any other interested party.