Islamic calligraphy

Eighteenth century mirror writing in Ottoman calligraphy. The phrase means 'Ali is the vicegregent of God' in both directions.

Islamic calligraphy, also known as Arabic calligraphy, is the art of artistic handwriting, and by extension, of bookmaking.[1] It is both an art, and a practical way of writing.

Arabic calligraphy may be found on tiles and other ornaments. The text usually comes from the Koran (Qur'an).

Styles

The different styles of Arabic writing mostly derive from early versions of the Koran. There are geometric styles such as Kufic, and cursive (flowing) styles like Naskh, Thuluth, and Muhaqqaq.

Gallery

Islamic Calligraphy Media

References

  1. Bloom (1999), pg. 218
  • Wolfgang Kosack: Islamische Schriftkunst des Kufischen. Geometrisches Kufi in 593 Schriftbeispielen. Deutsch – Kufi – Arabisch. Christoph Brunner, Basel 2014, ISBN 978-3-906206-10-3.