

Before the advent of paper, papyrus and parchment were used for writing. Islamic calligraphy is applied on a wide range of decorative mediums other than paper, such as tiles, vessels, carpets, and inscriptions. Some styles are often written using a metallic-tip pen.

The traditional instrument of the Islamic calligrapher is the qalam, a pen normally made of dried reed or bamboo the ink is often in color, and chosen such that its intensity can vary greatly, so that the greater strokes of the compositions can be very dynamic in their effect. The most common style is divided into angular and cursive, each further divided into several sub-styles. In antiquity, a pupil would copy a master's work repeatedly until their handwriting was similar. Deep religious association with the Qur'an, as well as suspicion of figurative art as idolatrous, has led calligraphy to become one of the major forms of artistic expression in Islamic cultures.Īs Islamic calligraphy is highly venerated, most works follow examples set by well established calligraphers, with the exception of secular or contemporary works. The development of Islamic calligraphy is strongly tied to the Qur'an chapters and excerpts from the Qur'an are a common and almost universal text upon which Islamic calligraphy is based. It is known in Arabic as khatt Islami (?), meaning Islamic line, design, or construction. It includes Arabic, Ottoman, and Persian calligraphy. Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, based upon the alphabet in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage.
