Why Arabic Calligraphy is so Special
- Z I
- Nov 27, 2019
- 4 min read
Arabic calligraphy is a form of art that brings wonders to language. It’s got a history that explains its miraculous development throughout time.
Arabic is poetic hence its depth. A beautiful poetic language like Arabic needs to be expressed artistically on paper. Arabic is such an ancient language, it never fails to connect Muslims to their roots. The techniques, the ink, the bamboo pen...it’s all very reminiscing. It brings Islamic art into this contemporary art world. I find that to be an interesting crossover of time, of east and west. Isn’t that amazing? If art could be the resource we use to transform communities to feel more united, to feel integrated? It’s like they say “old is gold”. Arabic is gold, and calligraphy reconnects us to cultural and religious gold. Arabic has amazing repetition: the basic letters are learnt, 3-letter roots are practiced and techniques are enhanced and you’re ready to write in Arabic. Everything is somehow intertwined.
Before understanding why Arabic calligraphy is so special, it’s vital to dig deep into its history. The Arabs were poets by heart and preffered to memorize texts and poems, however with the introduction of Islam, the first Muslims took effort to document the Quran. Now when it comes to Arabic script, there are many that were created during different periods of time and locations across the Islamic empire. For example, the Maghribi script reflects the inscriptions and artwork of Africa. Interestingly, archeologists have found a close relationship between Cannanite and Aramic Nabataean alphabet, and the first Arabic script called Musnad is likely to have been developed from these languages.This Arabic actually looks nothing like the Arabic we all know.
Arabic Musnad script (Image source: Marie-Lan Nguyen)
The first form of Arabic-like alphabet is the Al-Jazm script.
Arabic Al-Jazm script (Image source: Saad D. Abulhab)
With all these Arabic scripts, different styles developed and they were commonly used in the early days of the Islamic empire. Ma’il is another script and it was developed before the famous Kufic script. This script played an important role in the documentation of the Quran. The Kufic script surprisingly didn’t have any dots, nuqats. It’s thicker, consists of long vertical lines and much more suited for architecure since long texts couldn’t be written. The earliest copies of the Quran known as the Uthman Quran was written in Kufic script. This script also had variations of its own like Maghribi Kufic Script used in Morocco had more curves than original Kufic or like Fatimid Kufic with thick lines and short curves.
Kufic script from the 9th – 10th centuries (Image source: Will Schofield)
The Fatimid Kufic script (Image source: Stars in Symmetry)
When the Abbasid dynasty came Arabic calligraphy advanced further with three important calligraphers:Ibn Muqlah, Ibn Al Bawwab and Yaqut Al Mu’tasimi. Rules of calligraphy were based on rhombic dot, alif, circle and similarity system.
The rhombic dot (Image source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
The alif and circles (Image source: Fayeq Oweis)
When the Thuluth script was first introduced, its readability made it useful for multiple purposes and is why it was used in writing the Quran. Then came the Safavid dynasty in which the Ta’liq and Nata’liq scripts were introduced its curvy and artistic approach definitely left a mark on Persian art. Another interesting script, the Maghribi script, was developed in North Africa. The thickness, long, descending vertical lines and decorative appearance gives it a unique beauty. Most Arabic scripts reached their final stage during the Ottomon dynasty. It’s second to the Abbasid dynasty when it comes to evolutions in Arabic script and calligraphy. Two important scripts from this era are Diwani and Riq’a. The Diwani has beautiful curved letters, complex shapes, and a decorative appearance. This royal script was used to write official documents in the Ottomon empire. Although, Riq’a is rather simple and suitable for long texts. It was used to write on small cloths and is still used today. It’s also very easy to convert to digital font.
Nasta'liq (Image source: Wikipedia)
Maghribi script (Image source: Wikimedia)
Diwani script (Image source: Wikimedia)
Arabic calligraphy has grown extensively over time. It’s geographical, religious, cultural and artistic importance makes it such a special artform. It has a history of hundreds of years, and its decorative form that we know today has been constantly enhanced and developed. It’s always such an amazing wonder to see different scripts, their complexity. Arabic calligraphy is a linguistic art form that plays such a critical role in the Islamic empire, and the appearance of the Quran today. I have so much appreciation for the language and the artists and writers involved in bringing it to its beautiful decorative shapes. Doing Arabic calligraphy today is like watching history shine onto a piece of paper. It’s like everything repeating itself wonderfully. I think we find it difficult to appreciate historical context until we’re informed of it. It makes me wonder: the existence of everything around us has been through so much history and digging into one thing helps you discover a thousand other treasures and stories. The past is magnifying.
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