Centuries
ago, when Arabic societies shifted towards a written rather than oral culture,
calligraphy – also known as ‘the art of beautiful handwriting’ – prospered and
became one of the most distinctive artistic elements of the Islamic religion.
As a traditional form of art, calligraphy is an important part
of the Arabian heritage and culture; its history cannot be separated from the
history of Islam. Over hundreds of years, master calligraphers carefully wrote
and copied the sacred verses of the Quran, the Word of God as revealed to
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the 7th century.
Undoubtedly, the Holy Book played a key role in the
standardization of Arabic, providing a valuable link to religion and language.
Throughout the years, its classical form has been perfected by
reaching some of the highest aesthetic statutes as a form of decoration,
adorning the holiest Islamic sites and exquisite art pieces. The infinite
interwine of thick and thin lines, the graceful strokes, and the astonishing
varied and imaginative ways of using the square-cut reed pen nib reveal all the
beauty and spiritual power of calligraphy as the msot original feature of
Islamic art.
Arabic calligraphy is difficult to master. It requires precise
control of the hand; it needs patience, imagination, intellectual and spiritual
commitment. Traditional arts are still commonly practiced in the UAE. For
Emiratis, learning calligraphy means going back to their roots by discovering
the scripts and techniques used by their ancestors. Arabic calligraphy is still
popular to this day, modern and classical forms coexist encouraging many people
to learn Arabic language, and appreciating the great elegance of this
captivating art form.
Fujtown was officially launched on February, 2015. It has since evolved to a much more detailed site than it originally was due to the helpful contributions and suggestions of users from all over Fujairah.