TURKISH CALLIGRAPHY (HUSN-U HAT)
When, in the tenth century, the Turks migrated to the West from their original home in the steppes of northwest China, they came into contact in Turkestan, Afghanistan and Iran with the religion and culture of the Islamic world. The mass conversion to Islamic, which resulted from this migration, was accompanied by the abandonment of the old Uyghur alphabet they had formerly employed and the adoption of the Arabic script they were to use for nearly a thousand years until the introduction of the new Turkish alphabet in 1928.
“The Qur’an was revealed in Mecca, read in Egypt and written in Istanbul”
The literal meaning of the Turkish word for calligraphy (hat) is line or way. In essence, Husn-u Hat comprises the beautiful lines inscribed with reed pens on paper using ink made from soot.
The type of Arabic script in use at the time of the first emergence of Islam was a slightly modified form of the old Syrian script and became known as Kufic on account of its first being taught and used in the city of Kufe in Iraq.
This type of script was later followed by other types of script known as Thuluth and Naskhi. Kufic script was transformed into Thuluth and Naskhi by Mehmed bin Mansur, one of the Abbasid caliphs, and by “lbni Mukle”, who had served Mutasam as vizier.
In the 13th century, Yakut-ul-Mustasimi,a calligraphist from Amasya, made a breakthrough in calligraphy by using nibs of various widths and sizes in one composition.
Towards the middle of the fifteenth century, Istanbul, now the capital of an Empire that had arisen after the decline of the Seljuk States and the Anatolian Emirates, became the center of a highly developed art of calligraphy. Sheikh Hamdullah (1436-1520 A.D.), a calligrapher encouraged and protected by Sultan Bayezid II, succeeded in creating a new style and character in Thuluth, Naskhi and Muhakkak from a close examination of the writings of Yakut and other members of this school, and left specimens of calligraphy that were to constitute models for the calligraphers that succeeded him.
Topkapi Palace contains a calligraphic album by Sheikh Hamdullah with examples of Thuluth, Naskhi, Muhakkak, Rik’a, Tevki and Divani scripts, together with a very beautifully written copy of the Qur’an.
Later, Sheyh Hamdullah, a famous calligraphist from the period of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, introduced major changes in the traditional seven writing styles and put the mark of the Turkish national character on Islamic writing. His followers further improved Turkish calligraphy over the centuries. Hafiz Osman, Mustafa Rakim, Yesari Mehmet, Sevki Efendi, Sefik Bey, Mahmut Celaleddin, Kadiasker Mustafa Izzet, Sultan Mahmut II, Aziz Efendi, Necmettin Efendi, Sami Efendi and Hamid Aytac are all noted Turkish calligraphists who contributed to the development of this art.
VARIETIES OF SCRIPT
Cursive styles of calligraphy appeared during the 10th century.[4] They were easier to write and read and soon replaced the earlier geometric style, except for decorative purposes.
The canonical “six cursive scripts” (al-aqlam al-sittah) were pioneered by Ibn Muqla (d. 939) and later refined by his successors Ibn al-Bawwab (d. 1022) and Yaqut al-Mustacsimi (d. 1298). Naskh script was the most widespread, used in Qur’ans, official decrees, and private correspondence. Ancient texts listing these six styles typically do not provide examples. It is therefore difficult to distinguish these styles.
1. Nash or naskhi is a simple cursive writing that was used in correspondence before the calligraphers started using it for Qur’an writing. It is slender and supple, without any particular emphasis, and highly readable. It remains among the most widespread styles. The most famous calligrapher of this genre was Hafiz Osman, an Ottoman calligrapher who lived during the 17th century. It is the basis of modern Arabic print.
2. Tulut is a more monumental and energetic writing style, with elongated verticals. It was used by Mamluks during the 14th-15th centuries. However the style was transformed and refined by Ottoman calligraphers. Today the masters of this style still live in Turkey including Hüseyin Kutlu and Fuat Başar.
3. Tawqi appeared under the Abbassid caliphate, when it was used to sign official acts. With elongated verticals and wide curves under the writing line, it remained a little-used script.
4. Riqa was a miniature version of tawqi’. The Ottomans used it for handwriting, and it is largely so used at the present day.
5. Muhaqqaq is an ample, alert script. Letter endings are elongated and their curves underline the text.
6. Rihani or rayhani is a miniature version of muḥaqqaq.
Turkish calligraphists have always made the paper, pens and ink they used. The paper used to be painted with natural dyes. Then it was polished with boiled starch and egg white. The paper dressed in this way allowed for easily correcting mistakes. Pens were made of hard reeds. Bigger pens (known as “celi”) were made of wood. To produce ink, the calligraphists used to burn materials such as pine and linseed oils
