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. 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

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  Kufic script in a Qur'an from the 9th-10th centuries

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  Naskh script in an Egyptian Qur'an from the 14th-15th centuries

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  Page of a 12th century Qur'an written in the Andalusi script

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  Allah In Thuluth Script <span title=" transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Allah's (Arabic) proportion rules.

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  Inscriptions in calligraphy, form regular bands throughout the Qutb Minar, India, built 1192 CE

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  Bismillah in calligraphy

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  Bismillah in calligraphy

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  The instruments and work of a student calligrapher.

Islamic Calligraphy Media

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  FoliosbafromPartofapartQur’ancopiedbyYa'qutalMusta'simiinBaghdadAD(AH)(cropped)

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  Five principal Arabic calligraphic cursive styles:*

  1. *
  2. Naskh*
  3. Nasta'liq*
  4. Diwani*
  5. Thuluth*
  6. Reqa*
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  9th century Qur'an, an early kufic example from the Abbasid period

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  Bowl with Kufic Calligraphy, 10th century. Brooklyn Museum

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  Muraqqa script by Mehmed Şevkî Efendi of the two intro pages of the Holy Koran, Khalili Collection of Islamic Art

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  Muhaqqaq script in a 14th-century Qur'an from the Mamluk dynasty

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  A digital rendering of the Bismillah in an 18th-century Islamic calligraphy from the Ottoman region, Thuluth script

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  Nasta'liq calligraphy of a Persian poem by Mir Emad Hassani, perhaps the most celebrated Persian calligrapher

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  leftThe official imperial Tughra of the Mughal Empire.

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  Bismillah calligraphy from the Mughal Empire.

References

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