Back خط عربي Arabic خطاطلیق AZB Ислямска калиграфия Bulgarian इस्लामी सुलेख Bihari ইসলামি চারুলিপি Bengali/Bangla Islamska kaligrafija BS Cal·ligrafia islàmica Catalan خوشنویسی در جهان اسلام Persian इस्लामी अक्षरांकन Hindi Iszlám kalligráfia Hungarian
_(cropped).jpg)
| Part of a series on |
| Arabic culture |
|---|
| Part of a series on |
| Calligraphy |
|---|
 |
Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of penmanship and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It is a highly stylized and structured form of handwriting that follows artistic conventions and is often used for Islamic religious texts, architecture, and decoration.[2] It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy.[3][4] It is known in Arabic as khatt Arabi (خط عربي), literally meaning 'line', 'design', or 'construction'.[5]
The development of Islamic calligraphy is strongly tied to the Qur'an, as chapters and verses from the Qur'an are a common and almost universal text upon which Islamic calligraphy is based. Although artistic depictions of people and animals are not explicitly forbidden in the Qur'an, Islamic traditions have often limited figural representation in Islamic religious texts in order to avoid idolatry. Some scholars argue that Kufic script was developed by the late 7th century in Kufa, Iraq, from which it takes its name. This early style later evolved into several forms, including floral, foliated, plaited or interlaced, bordered, and square Kufic. In the ancient world, though, artists sometimes circumvented aniconic prohibitions by creating intricate calligraphic compositions that formed shapes and figures using tiny script. Calligraphy was a valued art form, and was regarded as both an aesthetic and moral pursuit. An ancient Arabic proverb illustrates this point by emphatically stating that "Purity of writing is purity of the soul."[6]
Beyond religious contexts, Islamic calligraphy is widely used in secular art, architecture, and decoration.[7] Its prominence in Islamic art is not solely due to religious constraints on figurative imagery, but rather reflects the central role of writing and the written word in Islamic culture.[8] Islamic calligraphy evolved primarily from two major styles: Kufic and Naskh, with numerous regional and stylistic variations. In the modern era, Arabic and Persian calligraphy have influenced modern art, particularly in the post-colonial Middle East, and have also inspired the fusion style known as calligraffiti.[9]
- ^ "Khalili Collections | Islamic Art | Part 15 of a 30-part Qur'an". Khalili Collections. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Gruber, Christiane (2009). "Sheila Blair, Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006). Pp. 679. $150.00 cloth". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 41 (3): 486–487. doi:10.1017/s002074380909120x. ISSN 0020-7438.
- ^ Blair, Sheila S.; Bloom, Jonathan M. (1995). The art and architecture of Islam : 1250–1800 (Reprinted with corrections ed.). New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-06465-9.
- ^ Chapman, Caroline (2012). Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture, ISBN 978-979-099-631-1
- ^ Julia Kaestle (10 July 2010). "Arabic calligraphy as a typographic exercise". Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ Lyons, Martyn. (2011). Books : a living history. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. ISBN 978-1-60606-083-4. OCLC 707023033.
- ^ Blair, Sheila S. (Spring 2003). "The Mirage of Islamic Art: Reflections on the Study of an Unwieldy Field". The Art Bulletin. 85: 152–184
- ^ Allen, Terry (1988). Five Essays on Islamic Art. Sebastopol, CA: Solipsist Press. pp. 17–37. ISBN 0944940005.
- ^ Erzen, Jale Nejdet (February 2011). "Reading Mosques: Meaning and Architecture in Islam". The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. 69 (1): 125–131. doi:10.1111/j.1540-6245.2010.01453.x. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2024.