Arabic styling and writing has its origin in Islamic art and
civilization, essentially used to decorate mosques and
palaces, as well as in beauty manuscripts, books, and especially
to copy the Koran. Arabic script is cursive making
it viable to support different geometric shapes overlapping
and composition. Words can be written in
a very condensed
form as well as stretched into elongated
shapes, so that scribes and artists of Islam
labored with passion to take advantage of all these
possibilities.
From the beginning of Arabic calligraphy, two tendencies or two types of styles can be seen emerging, the handwriting for the decoration of mosques and sculptures, complex and shaped enough, and writing style reserved for writing the Koran, easier to use and more readable.
Writings styles / Arabic Scripts then evolved
according to cultural diversity, leading to regional
calligraphic schools and styles (Kufi in Iraq, Farissi
and Taʻliq in Persia or Diwani in Turkey),
or to the purpose of writing, such as the copying and
dissemination of the Korʼan.
In general we group under the generic term Naskh
(copy/inscription) the scripts reserved for books and texts
to be read, e.g. the Korʼan, and as Kufi (from city of Kufa in Irak)
the stylish scripts ornaments oriented.
Although further named styles appeared during the richer evolution
of Arabic scripts.
Basics and principles of Arabic writing were then defined by Ibn
Moqlah (886-940 Higra) @@add a ref. Welch 1979@@ who
defined the Six Styles of writing: Kufi, Thuluth,
Naskh, Riqaʻ, Diwani and Taʻliq.
Others...
TBD.
Consider here technical constraints due to printing and computers.
Yet to be completed...
Style |
Description |
sample |
Pic |
---|---|---|---|
Kufi (Diwan kufi here) |
Early time of Islam 3rd or 4th century applied to the early scripts used to write the Koran difficult to write any long text |
الإعجاب بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات | |
Naskh |
The script of choice for
the Koran Popular for writing books because of its legibility Adapted for printing The most common font in printed Arabic |
الإعجاب بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات الإعجاب بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات |
|
Nastaaliq (Farisi here) |
developed in Iran in the
8th and 9th centuries (wp) Nas(kh)+Taaliq |
الإعجاب بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات | |
Reqaa |
الإعجاب بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات | ||
Diwani |
Used in the Ottoman court
to write official documents Difficult to read and write Still in use today |
الإعجاب بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات | |
Thuluth |
Support Harakat Indicators Script par excellence for writing many different kinds of texts Used particulary for titles and architectural inscriptions |
الإعْجَابْ بالكِتاَبَةِ السِّحْريَةِ وَالمَهَاراَت باسم لله الرحمان الرحيم |
|
Rabat aka Maghribi |
Western Islamic world of
North Africa and Spain Used for writing the Koran as well as other scientific, legal and religious manuscripts Not much used today. |
الإعجاب
بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات |
|
Taaliq |
Arabic calligraphy
designed for Persian language. Until replaced by Nastaaliq |
الإعجاب
بالكتابة السحرية والمهارات |
...
[1] "Arabic
Calligraphic Styles"
http://islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/styles/,
[2] "A
Brief Guide to Arabic Scripts and Calligraphy"
http://www.shutterstock.com/blog/2013/07/a-brief-guide-to-arabic-scripts-and-calligraphy/
[3] "The_creation
of style in Arabic writing"
http://www.academia.edu/6434123/The_creation_of_style_in_Arabic_writing
[4] "Customised
Arabic Calligraphy Designs"
http://www.nihadnadam.com/calligraphy/25/Arabic-Calligraphy-Styles
[5] "الخط العربي (Arabic Calligraphy)"
http://www.alargam.com/languages/khat/khat.htm
[6 ] Wikipedia
"الخط
العربي "
https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AE%D8%B7_%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A
"Islamic
Calligraphy"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calligraphy