A four part essay by Mamoun Sakkal regarding the history and use of the Arabic Alphabet. The site has intriguing articles about the evolution of the alphabet.

Explore the pages and elements of Arabic books throughout history by looking at examples and details of codices, illuminated texts, artistic scripts, calligraphy instruments, scientific illustrations, book bindings, and contemporary...

Explains the central role of calligraphy in Islamic art and architecture. Includes numerous illustrations of various writing styles and information about the development of calligraphy in the Islamic world.

In a recent exhibition on Ottoman culture held in Amsterdam's Nieuwe Kerk was an unimpressive-looking little 18th-century book, a printed version of a manuscript produced 150 years earlier. Usually a manuscript is more rare than a...

The online home of "Word into Art," an exhibition mounted by the British Museum that details the way in which artists from across the Middle East and North Africa use written language in their art. The exhibition follows four thematic...

A four part essay by Mamoun Sakkal regarding the history and use of the Arabic Alphabet. The site has intriguing articles about the evolution of the alphabet.

A four part essay by Mamoun Sakkal regarding the history and use of the Arabic Alphabet. The site has intriguing articles about the evolution of the alphabet.

This collection contains more than 100 single-page calligraphic sheets containing poetic excerpts in Persian

Page through an amazing work of Islamic calligraphy, a 14th-century Koran. Includes audio recitations of the verses in Arabic and commentaries for each page in English that you can listen to or read.

A dictionary entry for Islam and Islamic art with numerous illustrations of representative works in all media, including architecture, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, and manuscripts. Includes useful cross-references to related terms and...

Fifty masterworks from the Metropolitan's collection of Islamic art are on display, grouped by object type to aid comparative analysis. Includes curators' notes, along with detailed views. Stunning examples of Islamic art and calligraphy...

An introduction to the art and literature that were produced during the Islamic Golden Age. A brief look at Islamic calligraphy, mosaics, geometric designs, and the story behind the 1001 Tales of the Arabian Nights.

The term Islamic is used here to define the art and material culture of those lands where the dominant religion is Islam, the religion revealed to the prophet Muhammad in seventh century Arabia. The Islamic lands have encompassed at...