History of Calligraphy
Traditionally, the practice of calligraphy would be found among caliphs, sultans, viziers, sheikhs, imams, teachers, businessmen, soldiers and many other professions. Calligraphy skills often stayed within families, and were usually passed down from father to son. It was not uncommon to find entire families who earned their livelihoods as calligraphers. If a young male demonstrated … Continued
Creating a Culture of Art in the Home
Art is what can truly bring a home to life. It can transform what once plain wasteland into a vibrant haven for you to spend a peaceful evening. As well as having a profoundly positive effect on the general mood of a household, art is proven to have profoundly positive effects on children. There are … Continued
The Making of a Good Calligrapher
There are no shortcuts to great calligraphy. To learn the art of Arabic calligraphy, you will need good examples to work from, a master of calligraphy to guide you, an eye for detail and the discipline to practice very regularly. The best calligraphers achieve the “breath-like flow,” described by the Turkish scholar Mahmud Yazir in … Continued
The Arabic Script
The Arabic language, unlike western languages, is written from right to left, similar to other Semitic scripts. There are six letters within the Arabic alphabet which can only be joined the preceding characters. The Arabic alphabet consists of 17 characters, all of which are consonants. Short vowel sounds are made using symbols, above, below and … Continued
The Arabic Language
Arabic belongs to the Semitic family of languages, which includes Hebrew, Syriac, Aramaic, and several languages of Ethiopia, such as the Amharic and the Tigrinya. Arabic and Hebrew are the only Semitic languages that are still used today both in their writing and speaking forms. Arabic is spoken from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. … Continued
Calligraphy Styles
Kufic Script Kufic script, a heavy monumental Arabic script used mostly in stone carvings, appeared in the earliest surviving Quran manuscripts. The diacritical marks over the letters are sometimes highlighted in red, with gold decorations between Surahs contrasting with the heavier black script. In the Seljuk period, a more cursive flowing script, Naskhi, developed. The … Continued
Reading Islamic Calligraphy
Arabic letters are not only beautiful on their own but when arranged into words, they communicate another level of meaning. If you are able to read the Arabic script, you should be able to read calligraphy. It takes time and practice. Letters in calligraphic compositions are often interwoven, making them more challenging to read than … Continued
Mohammed Zakariya
Islamic Calligraphy speaks its own language. The tradition is the result of hundreds of years worth of innovation and few have been on the kind of journey, or reach the level of mastery that Mohammed Zakariya has reached. He dropped out of high school and converted to Islam at the age of 19 after traveling … Continued