A brief history of Arabic Calligraphy | Blog

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Calligraphy is among the world's oldest and most revered art forms. It is widely practised across different parts of the world. It is becoming more popular that the value of calligraphy has declined, yet within Arabic tradition, this more than two thousand years long art is as popular and revered in the same manner as it was. Even in this modern time, when the excessive usage of language is reducing the significance of words Arabic calligraphy is a powerful and attractive contrast making writing and the written word as important objects of worship.

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•       The principle of HTML0 lies in Arabic Calligraphy
•       Development of Arabic Calligraphy
•       The tools used to create Arabic Calligraphy
•       Modern Arabic Calligraphy

The roots of the word originate from Arabic Calligraphy

Traditionally, Arabic tribes preferred to keep a record of poetry and other works in order to transmit them to generations. But this was changed after the advent of Islam and the importance of maintaining in the Quran with its initial form. In this article we will examine the background of Arabic calligraphy as well as script.

Spread of Islam Spread of Islam

Prior to the advent of Islam and the expansion of Islam, there was a period during which there was a time when it was believed that the Arabian Peninsula was home to numerous old Semitic languages. the discovery of calligraphic artifacts from these languages prove the calligraphy skill that was practiced well prior to Islam. In the past, Persia was one of them. used cuneiform for adorning monuments to the Kings during the time between 600 to 500 B.C.1 But, it was the expansion of Islam which brought in an age of calligraphy across the first Middle East because of how it brought all of the Middle East within the framework of the Arabic languages , in addition to the importance given to the art of writing.

     HTML0 Golden Age of Arabic Calligraphy    

Arabic calligraphy's early development wasn't one that was straight. There were many scripts that changed their popularity throughout places as distant as Damascus, Baghdad, Morocco and Spain.2 Kufic, which was named in honor of cities such as Kufah which are located in Iraq it was the first script widely accepted and governed Arabic calligraphy up to the seventh century. until the 11th century, however, it was a primitive script and not organized specifically in relation to the process of systematicization which it would later be subject to through all of the "Golden period" in calligraphy. The process started around 1000 B.C. and continued to around the 13th century.

In 762, in 762 in 762 Abbasid Caliph Mansur started to construct a stunning new capital city to his vast empire. It was the result Baghdad which was a carefully constructed city with a magnificently walled wall which was built in the Tigris river. Baghdad rapidly became a major center of culture in the Middle East. It also became the ideal location to observe the biggest advancement within Arabic calligraphy. The "Golden Age" was the most well-known time period for Arabic calligraphy. It is typically described through the story of three famous calligraphers. Ibn Muqla (886-940), Ibn al-Bawwwab (believed to be between 961 and 1022) and Yakut al-Musta'simi. He was born in Amasya (d. 1298).

Visier Ibn Muqla

Visier Ibn Muqla is famous for developing the basic principles of calligraphy. It is also the basis for his theorem of proportion, which calligraphers employ up to today. The theory of proportion that was devised by him established the rhomboid dots and the length of the strokes of the alif as the main measuring units used to estimate the quantity of letters found in a particular script.

In the theory of Ibn Mukla's proportion, the alif's size is calculated by the seven Rhomboids. A circumference is measured by taking an alif's length. Additional characters are calculated on the basis of the circumference.

Ibn al-Bawwab

Ibn Muqla was followed by Ibn al-Bawwab, who refined the scripts of Muqla. It is believed that he created the cursive scripts that were used in Rayhani as well as Muhaqqaq. Ibn al-Bawwab is also known for having preserved a few documents of Muqla's at the beginning. Unfortunately the manuscripts haven't been saved until now.

Yaqut al Musta'simi

The most well-known calligrapher of the third generation from the Golden Age, Yaqut al Musta'simi worked as a scribe at the royal court. He continued to perfect the method of measuring proportional to the size and cut the nibs of his pen at an angle. This was an extremely minor change that transformed the design and the technique used for Arabic calligraphy. Yakut was a part of all of the Mongol Baghdad bag. Baghdad is thought to be hidden in a minaret, where the mongol remained at work at his post, while the town below was devastated.

Three calligraphers of in the past were among popular, but many others also studied under the masters of these masters, including many women who earned fame due to their talents. The artists they studied throughout their careers in the Golden Age yielded the six most important scripts: sulus mushakkak and reyhani, tevki, as well as the rika.

Islam was spreading quickly. It was the transformation from Ghazan, who served as the leader for the Mongol Empire, and Muslim Mughal and Mamluk the family of India and Egypt and finally the Ottoman Empire All of them contributed to the expansion of Islam and along with it, Arabic calligraphy to further regions across the globe. Each new civilisation and empire was a new era in the art of Arabic calligraphy has been gradually developed and evolved by the expertise of the people who practiced to the art. Presently various scripts for calligraphy are an integral part of the rich history of Arabic calligraphy and is passed on.

     Evolution of Arabic Calligraphy    

Apart from the widespread spread of Arabic calligraphy throughout the world It has also developed to become the primary use. At first, Arabic calligraphy was a tool for communicating and also to protect the message of God via the Quran. However, over time it became an integral component of architectural design decorations as well as ornaments and designs for coins.

Furthermore, Arabic calligraphy also evolved over time, and eventually evolved into two distinct families: Kufic and rounded scripts.

Kufic

The very early Arabic script was never utilized because of the oral culture's centuries-old tradition. But, as the Quran had to be saved in the era of spreading Islam and Islam and Islam, the Arabic language became more important. This is the reason why the Quran was created to be beautiful. The Quran's Arabic script is known as Kufic.

There are a variety of types that comprise Kufic and it's distinguished by the angular and -rectilinear typeshapes, as well as the horizontal orientation.

Round scripts. Round scripts

Since Kufic began to be the standard for holy documents it was discovered that there was a need for scripts that was faster to write and better suited to documents of smaller dimensions, such as letters. They are now called round scripts. They are considered to be formal. If you wish to appear formal, your round-scripts should not look as if that the author was actually an individual who composed the script. There is little to no possibility of artistic expression when writing in these types of writing style.

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     HTML1 Tools used for Arabic Calligraphy    

Qalam Pen

The most popular pen that is utilized to write Arabic calligraphy is known as The Qalam pen. It is constructed out of a dried, cut Reed. It is believed to be an indicator of wisdom within Islam.

Khamish Pen

The pen is also known as an reed pen type. Khamish pen pen . It is mainly utilized to draw calligraphy by Arab, Turkish, and Iranian calligraphers. It is made of reeds that grow along streams, however it needs an extended drying time before it can be ready to be used for calligraphy.

Bamboo Pen

Bamboo pen is among the oldest instruments used for calligraphy across the world. Bamboo pen is the best base for Arabic calligraphy because its rigid edges allow calligraphers to feel the entire range of pen movement but bamboo is also able to provide the flexibility of.

Java Pen

Java Pens are one of a kind of pen that is a part of Javanese thorngrass. They are renowned for their strength and ability to make sharp edges on letters. This type of pen is ideal for writing smaller scripts.

Handam Pen

The most flexible pen that can be used to write Arabic calligraphy. The Handam pen is available in a variety of sizes, ranging from a large 10mm model to a sub-1 mm micro nib. It's suitable for any kind of scripts. In addition, it's a sturdy pen that doesn't require be able to trim or sharpen your pen as frequently as in the case with Khamish pen. Khamish pen.

Celi Pen

This Celi pen was designed for use in huge-scale Arabic calligraphy. The nibs are constructed out of bamboo. They also have reservoirs for storing ink.

Ahar Paper

Though a range of different types of paper can be utilized to create Arabic calligraphy, there's a kind of paper specifically designed for the calligraphy art. It's called Ahar, is created manually by hand in Central India. It is coated with an amalgamation of starch and a sizing that is made from egg whites, as well as Alum. This glossy coating stops the ink from leaking into the paper. Instead, the ink sits over the paper. The calligraphers can erase, and even make corrections.

     Ink HTML1    

Traditional Arabic inks that are used in calligraphy is water-soluble and soot-based. So, it is possible to erase any mistakes with a moist cloth. Black is probably the most popular color for ink and a variety of colors are readily available and used.

Modern Arabic Calligraphy

While Arabic calligraphy is firmly grounded in the past, it also serves as an inspiration source for modern art. Many contemporary artists have created new styles and methodologies for Arabic calligraphy. Modern artists are able to put their own twist on classic styles of art and writing by including calligraphy in the designs of jewelry, digital art. They can also paint on canvas instead of the conventional method of paint on paper.

     Find Modern Arabic Calligraphy    

There are two primary approaches for learning Arabic calligraphy.

The first is an traditional technique that is accurate however it takes a lot of time. The past was when Arabic calligraphy was a craft which is handed down over generations. It's usually taught during in person meetings with the instructor and student.4

A lot of this type of instruction is built on observation and imitation. The student watches the teacher's precise movements and techniques as they progress and learns how to do the same moves. In addition, in addition to the face-to-face time, the student will generally practice at home, for extended periods, and then bring those practice sheets to the instructor to review and refine. This process may be ongoing for a long time.

Arabic calligraphy has a deep traditional, and it is a process that can take some time to master. However, if you're keen to discover this style of writing it is possible to integrate the art form into your daily life using a more modern approach.

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