The craft
- Khatt
- Arabic for “line”; the word used for calligraphy itself and for a particular script, as in khatt al-thuluth.
- Khattat
- A calligrapher — someone who has trained in the classical scripts.
- Qalam
- The reed pen of traditional calligraphy, cut at an angle so that the stroke changes width as it turns.
- Midad (Hibr)
- Ink. Traditional calligraphy ink is made from soot and gum so that it is deep black and long-lasting.
- Mashq
- Practice. Students copy a master's model letters and words again and again, often on practice sheets also called mashq.
- Ijazah
- A licence given by a master calligrapher to a student who has mastered a script, allowing them to sign their own work and teach.
- Nuqta
- The rhombic dot made by the tip of the qalam. Classical proportion measures every letter in these dots.
- Alif
- The first letter of the Arabic alphabet, a single vertical stroke. Its height, measured in dots, sets the proportions of a script.
- Mizan
- Balance or proportion — the harmony between letters, spaces, and lines that makes a composition feel right.
Scripts
- Kufic
- An early angular script used in the first Quran manuscripts and on buildings; later developed into floriated and square forms. Learn more
- Naskh
- A clear, rounded script used for copying the Quran and the basis of most printed Arabic. Learn more
- Thuluth
- A tall, sweeping script with interlacing letters, used for grand inscriptions and statement compositions. Learn more
- Muhaqqaq
- A broad, majestic script among the Six Pens, used for large Qurans in the medieval period.
- Diwani
- A highly cursive Ottoman chancery script with letters flowing into one another. Learn more
- Nastaliq
- A graceful Persian script of long, sloping strokes; the classic script of Persian and Urdu. Learn more
- Ruq'ah
- A compact everyday script written quickly with short strokes. Learn more
- Maghribi
- The rounded script of North Africa and al-Andalus, still used for Qurans in the region. Learn more
- Six Pens (al-aqlam al-sitta)
- The six classical scripts: Thuluth, Naskh, Muhaqqaq, Rayhan, Tawqi', and Riqa'.
Decoration and formats
- Tazhib
- Illumination — decorating a manuscript or panel with gold and colour around the calligraphy.
- Shamsa
- A sunburst medallion, often gilded, placed at the opening of a manuscript or at the centre of a composition.
- Hilye
- An Ottoman calligraphic panel describing the appearance and character of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, arranged in a set layout.
- Tughra
- The calligraphic monogram of an Ottoman sultan, later adapted for names and phrases.
- Muraqqa'
- An album that gathers calligraphy samples and paintings, popular in Persia and Mughal India.
- Mirror writing (Muthanna)
- A composition in which the text is written twice, mirrored around a central axis to form a symmetrical design.
- Zoomorphic calligraphy
- Lettering shaped into the form of a bird, animal, or object.
- Gold leaf
- Extremely thin sheets of gold or metal laid onto the surface to make calligraphy shimmer; used in many modern canvas paintings.
- Hurufiyya
- A 20th-century art movement in the Arab world that used letters as abstract elements of modern painting.
Quranic words you will see in artwork
- Ayah
- A verse of the Quran. Learn more
- Surah
- A chapter of the Quran. There are 114 surahs.
- Basmala (Bismillah)
- The phrase “In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.” Learn more
- Mushaf
- A written copy of the Quran.
- Tashkil (Harakat)
- The vowel and pronunciation marks written above and below Arabic letters.
- Asma ul Husna
- The Beautiful Names of Allah, often written as a set of 99. Learn more
- Dua
- A supplication. Many popular calligraphy pieces are duas from the Quran. Learn more