While monasteries in Europe treasured a few dozen volumes, libraries in the Muslim world regularly contained hundreds and even thousands of books.įor centuries, the art of writing has fulfilled a central iconographic function in Islamic art. During the 9th century, an influx of paper from China revolutionized calligraphy. Islamic calligraphy can be applied to a wide range of decorative mediums other than paper, such as tiles, vessels, carpets, and stone.Before the advent of paper, papyrus and parchment were used for writing. Some styles are often written using a metallic-tip pen. The ink is often in color and chosen so that its intensity can vary greatly, creating dynamism and movement in the letter forms. The traditional instrument of the Islamic calligrapher is the qalam, a pen normally made of dried reed or bamboo.

Islamic calligraphy has also been incorporated into modern art beginning with the post-colonial period in the Middle East, as well as the more recent style of calligraffiti.

There are several variations of each, as well as regionally specific styles. Islamic calligraphy developed from two major styles: Kufic and Naskh. It is noteworthy, for instance, that the Prophet Muhammad is related to have said: 'The first thing God created was the pen.'

The prevalence of calligraphy in Islamic art is not directly related to its non-figural tradition rather, it reflects the centrality of the notion of writing and written text in Islam. Like all Islamic art, it encompasses a diverse array of works created in a wide variety of contexts. However, Islamic calligraphy is not limited to strictly religious subjects, objects, or spaces. The development of Islamic calligraphy is strongly tied to the Qur'an chapters and excerpts from the Qur'an are a common and almost universal text upon which Islamic calligraphy is based. It is known in Arabic as khatt Islami (خط اسلامي), meaning Islamic line, design, or construction. It includes Arabic Calligraphy, Ottoman, and Persian calligraphy. Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, based upon the alphabet in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage.

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