Islamic calligraphy grew out of the need to write down the Quran beautifully and accurately. Because the Quran is regarded as the literal word of God in Arabic, copying it became an act of devotion, and the written word became the most important art form in Islamic culture.
The early centuries: Kufic
The earliest Quran manuscripts, from the 7th to 10th centuries, were mostly written in angular scripts later grouped under the name Kufic, after the city of Kufa in Iraq. Kufic letters are bold, horizontal and geometric, and the style was also carved into stone and woodwork on early mosques and palaces.
Proportioned scripts and the great masters
In the 10th century the Abbasid vizier Ibn Muqla is credited with creating a system of proportion for letters, based on the rhombic dot made by the pen. This opened the way for rounded “cursive” scripts such as Naskh and Thuluth. Later masters refined these scripts further, notably Ibn al-Bawwab in Baghdad and Yaqut al-Musta‘simi in the 13th century.
Ottoman, Persian and regional styles
Different regions developed their own styles. Persian calligraphers perfected the flowing Nasta‘liq, North Africa and Andalusia used Maghribi, and the Ottomans refined Thuluth, Naskh and the elaborate court script Diwani. Ottoman masters such as Sheikh Hamdullah and Hafiz Osman became models that calligraphers still study today.
Calligraphy today
Today, calligraphy lives on in traditional manuscripts and mosque decoration, and also in new materials: laser-cut metal, wood and acrylic wall art bring classic scripts into modern homes and offices. Our designs draw on these traditional scripts while using durable modern materials.
Bring calligraphy home: explore our Islamic calligraphy wall art, made in aluminium in Ras Al Khaimah and delivered across the UAE. Read our guides on calligraphy phrase meanings and where to hang Islamic wall art.
