Earlier this year I had the opportunity to meet Sanaa Boutayeb Naim, a Moroccan filmmaker who lives here in Washington, DC. In the fall of 2008 she produced a documentary feature about master calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya, and kindly allowed me to feature the video on the CalligraphyQalam.com blog. In this 11-minute documentary, Mohamed Zakariya offers insight into the art of Arabic script calligraphy. I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching.
Calligraphy was in the news this week when President Obama visited Istanbul. The New York Times reported on April 7th, “Mr. Obama spent the morning meeting with religious leaders, and then went on a tour of Hagia Sophia, once the biggest church in Christendom and now a museum, and the famed 17th-century Blue Mosque.”
Obama at the Blue Mosque. Calligrapher Hasan Celebi was responsible for restoring the calligraphy inscriptions in this magnificent mosque.
Obama at the Hagia Sophia. The circular calligraphy panels in this museum were created by calligrapher Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi in the 19th century.
Calligrapher Mamoun Sakkal offers lessons on his website in designing a word or phrase in a style he calls “square kufic.” In this style, each letter is made up of a series of filled-in squares. Starting with a piece of graph paper, you can design your own alphabet, then create intricate patterns with these letter forms.
These designs are abstract and stylized versions of the kufic calligraphy script.
This calligraphy composition features the signed work of several of the most highly reputed Ottoman calligraphers: Seyh Hamdullah, Hafiz Osman, Hafiz Yusuf, Mehmed Rasim and Mahmud Celaluddin.
Turkey. Early 19th century. 65.8 x 53.2 cm. Thuluth and naskh scripts. Courtesy of the Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art.
Water fountains like this with calligraphic inscriptions can be found throughout the city of Damascus.
