Arabic, a beautiful and exceptional language, has one of the most prominent writing styles. Arabic calligraphy, which is also known as Islamic calligraphy, is being given special respect and esteem all around the world because it is the first script in which the Holy Quran was written.
Arabic calligraphy art is and has always been an important component of Islamic art. In the earlier days, Arabic calligraphy originally served as a medium for communication, but with the passage of time, it began to be used in architecture, fonts, ornament and coin design. The beauty of Islamic paintings and calligraphy lies in its unique formations, symmetry and variations.
The Art Of Calligraphy
In every civilization, art has always been one of the most common and the most important element. From the Early Egyptian to Roman, Indian to Byzantine and even until the modern period, every civilization has valued art in various forms, be it abstract or contemporary art. Islamic art has always been known for its distinguishing and diverse style.
Alongside its strong association with the Holy Quran, one of the main reasons for the rise of Arabic calligraphy was the prohibition of sculpting and painting. Since figurative art has always been prohibited in Islam, therefore, this resulted in a strong association of the Muslims with their holy language, eventually becoming the main source of their artistic expression.
Evolution Of Arabic Calligraphy Script
The script of Arabic calligraphy has different forms that range from diverse periods to discrete lands. In the earlier days, Arabic calligraphy was simple and minimalistic as compared to the later development in its script forms.
There are two reasons for this development in the Arabic script forms. The first was the expansion of Islamic civilization, covering large areas of earth, and the second reason was the urge and interest to communicate across these wide areas of the Islamic civilization. This resulted in the emergence of different Arabic scripts.
1. Kufic Script
The Kufic script is one of the oldest Arabic scripts, which was developed in the 7th century. It played an essential role in documenting the Holy Quran. The Kufic script, in its earlier stages of development, lacked the dots and accents that are now a part of modern calligraphy.
The Kufic script had angular shapes and long vertical lines. The letters of this script were also wider, which made it difficult to write long content. This affected the usability of the script, thus making it more suitable for writing architectural and Islamic titles instead of long texts. The Kufic script continued its development through the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.
2. Thuluth Script
The meaning of “Thuluth” is one-third, which refers to the size of the pen which was used to write this script. First developed during the Abbasid dynasty in the 11th century, Thuluth was one of the scripts which were used to decorate mosques and other religious places.
The clear structure and readability of the Thuluth script make it suitable for several purposes. The letters and the long lines make it easily usable for long texts and titles. For this reason, in many regions of the Islamic empire, the Thuluth script was used for writing the Holy Quran and in architectural decorations. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia also has the Thuluth script embedded in its flag.
3. Naskh Script
Naskh means “to copy”. This script was used to copy the Holy Quran. It was also developed during the Abbasid dynasty in the 10th century. Due to its easy readability, the Naskh script was used for transcribing books, including the Holy Quran and in administrative court documents. For this reason, Ibn e Muqla, standardized Naskh as one of the primary six scripts of Arabic calligraphy in the 10th century.
Naskh uses a horizontal based line. It is a sans-serif script, meaning it lacks hooks at the end of descending and ascending strokes. Due to the modern look of this script, it is still used in the designing and printing of Arabic books.
4. Taliq Script
Developed during the 11th century and reformed during the 13th century in Persia during the Safavid dynasty, Taliq script was used for writing books, messages, letters and poems. The meaning of the word Taliq is suspension, which was inspired by the script line’s shape, which looks hung together. This script is a pure work of art.
The letters of the Taliq script are round, having a lot of curves. The words also appear suspended, connecting to each other. Due to this reason, this script is often written with more distance between lines. This makes the letters and the words easily identifiable. Though an advantage to the eye, this consumes a lot of space when the content is long, making the text limited.
5. Nasta’liq Script
Developed during the 15th century in Persia and Turkey, the Nasta’liq script is a refined version of the Taliq script, having elements of Nashkh. The letters of the Nastaliq script are a little hooked, like those of the Taliq script, having varied thicknesses. Nastaliq script has the characteristics of both, Taliq and Nashkh scripts.
Having long curved horizontal strokes of Taliq and short vertical lines of Nashkh, the letters of Nastaliq flow smoothly and in harmony. It is the most preferred calligraphy style for Islamic art. As compared to the previous two, this script is hard to write and less readable. Nastaliq script is still being used in Persia, India, and Pakistan for writing in Persian, Urdu and Punjabi.
Liyanah, an editor and content writer at crowdwriter.com, in her free time practices Arabic calligraphy in Nastaliq script.
6. Diwani Script
Diwani script was developed in the 16th century and reached its height of popularity in the 19th century, under the reign of Suleman I, the tenth ruler of the Ottoman empire. It was used to write official documents, such as decrees, resolutions and endowments.
Diwani script is exceptionally cursive and highly structured to form composite shapes and enhance forms. Known for its beautiful curved letters, Diwani script is still used in the ceremonies and greeting cards of kings, princes and presidents.
Reason For The Popularity Of Arabic Calligraphy
By far, the main reason for the popularity of Islamic calligraphy is its symmetry. Having a perfect balance of dots, edges, curves and points, the Arabic lettering and script make up the perfect component of the design. Since it can be fitted into a wide variety of shapes, forms and designs, it provides a space for creativity and originality to bloom on canvas.
Conclusion
Like in the past era, Arabic calligraphy is still one of the most widely acknowledged forms of art. It serves as a means of communication between nations and religions. Having developed for over 14 centuries in various regions around the world, the letters, style and script of Arabic calligraphy are continuing to develop, depending on the versatility of the modern era. The modern is contributing to the art form, just like the traditional scripts have done.
