Islamic cultures write in calligraphy. Calligraphy is basically the art of handwriting. In Islamic cultures, it is forbidden to draw God or represent God with images, so they make the words describing Him as pretty as possible. They also intertwine the letters and symbols to make it look more like a picture, It was the main way Islamic cultures physically preserved the Qur'an, so the art of calligraphy is highly respected and appreciated.
There are a few different forms of Arabic/Islamic calligraphy. There is the geometric style, which is clear-cut. The consonants and vowels are sometimes distinguished with dashes and dots to make reading easier. The cursive style is more decorative and still easily read.
Calligraphy is traditionally written using a dried reed or bamboo pen, called a qalam. Before paper, papyrus and parchment were used for the calligraphy, but after paper, calligraphy-making exploded so that the Muslim world had thousands of books while Europe still only had a few dozen. The ink used for calligraphy was often colored to make it more impressive. Calligraphy was also inscribed on coins and woven into silks.
In addition, mosques are decorated with calligraphy, both inside and out. Typically, it is combined with Arabesque, the geometric and beautiful art of Islam. The words and patterns are written on the walls of the mosque, in accordance with the functions of different parts of the mosque.
Thanks for the post! I had no idea this culture valued calligraphy/ writing so much, or for what reason. I think this really reflects the culture; the fact that they don't draw God. It shows that they, as a culture, follow God and do not want to mock Him.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the different ways cultures respect their deity. The Navajo didn't have a writing system, but they refer to their deity in all of the stories they tell their children everyday. What a contrast to Muslims!
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know that about the Navajo. It's kind of cool to me that our religion mixes a bunch of elements from all these cultures... It's like we're the culmination of faith, in a way. Because we don't mock God and we try to respect Him, yet we also talk of Him daily.
ReplyDeleteChristianity as a whole radically differs from Islam and Judaism in their relationship to God. I don't know that Islam and Judaism maintain that you can't have a personal relationship with God, but Christianity certainly pushes it to the fore. I think in the case of the Navajo the more personal relationship comes from the fact that most of their deity are embodied in the natural elements that they interact with everyday, so they have a really personal relationship.
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