The Art of Arabic Calligraphy
It's music delights the eyes, played with a pen and ink
Styles of the scripts
The Thuluth Script :
Thuluth (Arabic: ثلث) is a script variety of Islamic calligraphy invented by the Persian Ibn Muqlah Shirazi, which made its first appearance in the 11th century CE (fourth Hijri). The straight angular forms of Kufi script were replaced in the new script by curved and oblique lines. In Thuluth, one-third of each letter slopes, from which the name (meaning "a third" in Arabic) comes. It is a large and elegant, cursive script, used in medieval times on mosque decorations.Various calligraphic styles evolved from Thuluth through slight changes of form.
The Naskh Script :
Naskh (Arabic: نسخ) is a calligraphic style for writing in the Arabic alphabet, thought to be invented by the calligrapher Ibn Muqlah Shirazi. The root of this Arabic term nasakh-a means "to copy". It either refers to the fact that it replaced its predecessor, Kufi script, or that this style allows faster copying of texts. With small modifications, it is the style most commonly used for printing Arabic, Persian, Pashto and Sindhi languages. This type of script was derived from Thuluth by introducing a number of modifications resulting in smaller size and greater delicacy. It is written using a small, very fine pen known as a cava pen, which makes the script eminently suitable for use in book production. It was and is a very widely used form of script. Computers typically use Naskh or a Naskh-like script.
The Ruqʿah Script :
Ruqʿah or Riqʿah (Arabic: رقعة) is a calligraphic variety of Arabic script. The Ruqʿah style of handwriting is the most common type of handwriting. It is known for its clipped letters composed of short, straight lines and simple curves, as well as its straight and even lines of text. It was probably derived from the Thuluth and Naskh styles. It is clear and legible, and is the easiest script for daily handwriting.
The Kufi Script :
Kufi (Arabic: كوفي) is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Kufi developed around the end of the 7th century in Kufa, Iraq, from which it takes its name, and other centres. Until about the 11th century it was the main script used to copy Qur'ans. Square or geometric Kufi is a very simplified rectangular style of Kufi widely used for tiling.
The Diwani Script :
Diwani (ديواني) is a cursive style of Arabic calligraphy developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks in the 16th and early 17th centuries. It was invented by Housam Roumi and reached its height of popularity under Süleyman I the Magnificent (1520–1566). Spaces between letters are often narrow, and lines ascend upwards from right to left. Larger variation called djali are filled with dense decorations of dots and diacritical marks in the space between, giving it a compact appearance.
The Nasta'liq Script :
Nasta'liq (Arabic: نستعليق) is a cursive style originally devised to write the Persian language for literary and non-Qur'anic works. Nasta'liq is thought to be a later development of the naskh (نسخ) and the earlier ta'liq (تعليق) script used in Iran. The name ta'liq means 'hanging', and refers to the slightly steeped lines of which words run in, giving the script a hanging appearance.
