Turkish calligraphy

Made by Sultan Abdülmecid in 1849. It was donated to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts by Mehmed V Reşâd

The art of Turkish calligraphy dates back to the seventh century. The Ottoman Turks migrated from Central Asia to establish an empire in Anatolia by 1299, and conquered Constantinople in 1453. The Ottoman Empire became a major European power.[1] After the fall of the Mamluk Sultanate (1517), the Ottomans began to exert great influence over Islamic art and placed great emphasis on calligraphy. They collaborated with Egyptian and Persian calligraphers, adopting the naskh and thuluth scripts. [2]

While other traditional Turkish art forms declined due to the influence of European techniques, styles, tastes, and imports, calligraphy has continued to flourish in Turkey until the present day. In 1928, the Arabic script was replaced with an altered version of the Latin alphabet in the Turkish Republic. However, with assistance from the Centre for Islamic Art and Culture IRCICA in Istanbul, new generations of Turkish calligraphers have continued to emerge. These include Ahmed Kâmil Akdik (1861–1941), Ismail Hakki Altunbezer (1873–1946), and Necmeddin Okyay (1883–1976).[3]

  1. ^ Wright, B. (n.d.). Islamic Studies. (M. A. Munir & M. Islam, Eds.) (No.3, Vol. Vol. 38). Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Coomaraswamy, A. (1929). "Arabic and Turkish Calligraphy". Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts. 27 (162): 50–57. JSTOR 4170175.
  3. ^ Ferguson, H. (Ed.). (n.d.). Journal of the Ottoman and Turkish Studies Association pp. 37-39 (2nd ed., Vol. 23). Indiana University Press. Retrieved May 12, 2023.

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