Islamic Calligraphy (Al-Khatt al-Arabi)

Overview

Islamic calligraphy (الخط العربي) is the artistic practice of writing Arabic script, considered the highest form of visual art in Islam. Because Islam traditionally avoids representational imagery in religious contexts, calligraphy became the preeminent art form, used to render the words of the Quran in visual forms of extraordinary beauty.

Major Scripts

Kufic: The earliest formal script, angular and geometric, named after the city of Kufa. Used in the earliest Quran manuscripts. Naskh: The most widely used script for printing and everyday writing. Clear and legible, it became the standard for Quran printing. Thuluth: An ornamental script used for titles, headings, and mosque decorations. Larger and more flowing than naskh. Nastaliq: Developed in Persia, used primarily for Persian, Urdu, and Pashto. Elegant and flowing. Diwani: Developed by Ottoman calligraphers for official documents. Highly ornamental with intertwined letters. Ruq'ah: A simplified script used for everyday handwriting in the Arab world.

Great Calligraphers

Ibn Muqlah (886-940 CE): Codified the proportional system for Arabic scripts based on the dot, circle, and alif. Ibn al-Bawwab (d. 1022 CE): Refined Ibn Muqlah's system. Yaqut al-Musta'simi (d. 1298 CE): The last great calligrapher of the Abbasid era. Hamdullah Amasi (d. 1520 CE): The founder of the Ottoman school of calligraphy. Hashim al-Baghdadi (d. 1973): One of the greatest modern calligraphers.