Five Popular Scripts Used in Arabic Calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy was born in the seventh century when
Muslim scholars decided to write the Quran after the death of a prophet. For a
long time, it was used only for writing sacred books. Not anymore.
Today, 1,400 years later, Arabic calligraphy can be seen everywhere - from the entrance of
cities and houses to clothing and Islamic jewelry. This article is an
introduction to the art of good writing in Arabic and languages that use
Arabic characters - Persian, Hausa, Pashto, Punjabi, Urdu, and more. It is a
list of five major styles developed by calligrapher writers who write in Arabic
characters.
(a) Riq’a
Riq'a is the most widely used Arabic script today. It is
round and compactly formed with short horizontal stems. The book Alif (the
first letter of the Arabic alphabet) has never been written with thorny heads.
Riq'a was one of the favorite texts used by calligrapher painters in the
Ottoman Empire, which they refined endlessly - thus contributing to its current
popularity.
(b) Diwani
When Riq'a was widely used in the Ottoman Empire, Diwani was
the brainchild of Ottoman calligraphers. Toward the end of the 15th century, a
calligrapher of Persian and Turkish descent, Ibrahim Munif, created Diwani. The
most distinctive feature of Diwani is its variety of decorations. Spaces
between letters are used for decoration. Diwani is very popular for writing in
state palaces.
(c) Kufi
Kufi is a very angular script. Its size gives it a unique
look. It was developed shortly after the founding of Basrah and Kufa - two
modern Middle Eastern cities. Its primary use was religious. It may be because
of the construction of the Kufi geometry - which is not limited to strict rules.
As a result, calligrapher artists writing in Kufi are free to try their own
way.
(d) Naskh
Along with Kufi, the Naskh is one of the first texts used in
Arabic calligraphy. It is one of the few texts considered to be worthy of the
Quran. Naskh is easy to read and write. These attributes helped the script
spread - from calligrapher porches to more people. Naskh is inscribed with
short horizontal stems. Deep curves and space between characters are respectable
and precise depth and height are almost equal. If you want to learn Arabic calligraphy
from professionals, then just visit the best calligraphy courses in Lahore.
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