Art of Islam - Introduction

Calligraphy - is the art of beautiful writing which is what this website is about. You can see an example of it in the picture above. The site covers Arabic calligraphic art and will feature pictures and examples of it in the gallery section. The website features a gallery section where you can view the pictures, a history section where you can learn the importance of calligraphy to Islam. In the gallery section of the site there will be an interactive presentation of calligraphic art alongside a static gallery.

Sections

The site has different sections where you can view the content provided. If you would like to learn about the history of Islamic Calligraphy just click on the history tab, if you would like to see examples of Islamic calligraphy just click on the calligraphy tab. We also have separate sections where you can find out about who is responsible for the website and how to contact us.

Interesting Facts

• Calligraphy for the Muslim is a visible expression of the highest art of all, the art of the spiritual world.
• The first of those to gain popularity was known as the Kufic script, which was angular, made of square and short horizontal strokes, long verticals, and bold, compact circles.
• Calligraphy, the most Islamic of arts in the Muslim world, has also its figurative sides.
• The traditional instrument of the Arabic calligrapher is the qalam, a pen made of dried reed; the ink is often in color, and chosen such that its intensity can vary greatly, so that the greater strokes of the compositions can be very dynamic in their effect.

You can look up more interesting facts online through Google.

Brief History

The North Arabic script, which was influenced by the Nabatian script, was established in north-eastern Arabia and flourished in the 5th century among the Arabian tribes who inhabited Hirah and Anbar. It spread to Hijaz in western Arabia, and its use was popularized among the aristocracy of Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad, by Harb ibn Ummayyah.

For Muslims the Quran is the actual Word of God revealed through the archangel Gabrielle to the Prophet of Islam during the twenty-three year period of his prophetic mission. It was revealed in the Arabic language, which became therefore the language of Islam even for non-Arab Muslims.

With the increasing number of non-Arab Muslims, there was a greater need for facilitating reading and learning of Arabic.

To learn more about the history of Islamic Calligraphy visit the History page of this website.

Calligraphy Display

If you would like to view more images of Islamic Calligraphy you can go to our Calligraphy page to view more images of them.

Need more information? Want to learn about us?

If you would like to learn about our mission or what we are trying to do, you can visit the About page and read our mission statement. You can contact us by visiting the Contact page. There is a form that you can fill and send us a suggestion or just e-mail us using the e-mail provided.