Arabic calligraphy
Ornate Middle-Eastern writing
Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of writing Arabic script, historically developed to transcribe the Quran and now valued as a major art form in Islamic culture.
The flowing, connected nature of Arabic letters lends itself to elaborate decorative styles, appearing on manuscripts, architecture, ceramics, and textiles.
Various scripts exist—Kufic with its angular forms, Naskh for everyday use, the ornate Thuluth: The mosque's interior was covered in Arabic calligraphy.
- Islamic artVisual culture of Muslim civilizations
- penmanshipSkill of forming letters
- letteringStyled written characters
- bismillah"In God's name"
- illuminated manuscriptsHand-adorned medieval book pages
script · holy verses · right to left · Ottoman Empire · nib · black ink · ink · gold leaf · reed · gold · Persian · flourish · geometric patterns · curves · flowing · pen · illumination · ornate
- ArabiaSaudi Arabia, Mecca, Medina, Kaaba, Riyadh
- IslamAllah, Quran, Muhammad, Mecca, Ramadan
- Arab cultureArab, Bedouin, emir, Baghdad, Mecca
- calligraphyblackletter, rotunda, uncial, italic, italic script
- Gulf cultureBedouin, camel racing, dates, dhow, pearl diving
- Middle Eastern artsIslamic art, geometric art, miniature painting, oud, Persian rugs
Arabic calligraphyscrawl
Careless, illegible writing
illegible handwriting · chicken scratch · plain text · shorthand · graffiti tags