Sacred Script

Nassar Mansour is one of the most accomplished calligraphers in the Arab World today. He trained in Istanbul under the eminent calligrapher Hasan Celebi and, between 1977 and 1999, he was responsible for calligraphy and ornamentation in the restoration of the twelfth-century pulpit (mimbar)of Saladin at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem after it was destroyed in 1969. He completed his PhD, on which this book is based, in 2007. He has participated in numberous calligraphy workshops and exhibitions in the Middle East, Europe, India, Malaysia and Japan and his work is represented at the British Museum. Mansour lives in Jordan, where he teaches at the Institute of Traditional Islamic Arts and Al Baqa Applied University. Sir Mark Allen is an Arabist who, during an extensive diplomatic career in the Middle East, acquired an intimate knowledge of, and affection for, the culture of the region.

'Nassar Mansour's book provides a rare opportunity to look at Arabic calligraphy from the inside through the eyes of a contemporary practitioner. It gives an engaging insight into his intellectual background and working practices, and it documents his successful attempt to revive a particularly impressive style of calligraphy.' - Tim Stanley, Senior Curator, Middle East Asian Department Victoria and Albert Museum, London; 'I've read Nassar's text with pleasure and interest and illumination: before starting it, I couldn't have defined muhaqqaq to save my life. I also think it casts light on its peculiar suitability as a Qur'anic script. I've often been exercised by the difficulty of writing about calligraphy and inscriptions in general, not merely Islamic but Western too: the vocabulary is poor; there are insufficient technical terms; and lack of professional expertise tends to blind one to the most obvious points. Nassar is a practitioner, which gives him a head start, and his lucid exposition and mastery of the Islamic calligraphic tradition make his study of muhaqqaq a real contribution to an under-studied subject in the West.' - Michael Rogers, The Honorary Curator of the Khalili Collection, London; 'Based on a wide range of original sources, this book traces the history of muhaqqaq, the most illustrious of Arabic script styles, from its beginnings to its apogee at the height of the Ottoman Empire. The presentation is enriched by the author's own experience as an eminent calligrapher in whose work this ancient style has come to new fruition. As the combined fruit of scholarship and expert craftsmanship, this book is a rarity among its kind.' - Dr. Stefan Sperl, School of Oriental and African Studies, London

• ContentsDedicationIntroduction by Mark AllenList of IllustrationsAbbreviationsAcknowledgementThe Arabic AlphabetForwardTechnical TermsPART ONE: THE HISTORICAL STUDYIntroductionCHAPTER ONEThe Seven ScriptsMu'annaq: the Missing ScriptThe Remaining Six ScriptsMuhaqqaq: Term and SignificanceThe Development of Muhaqqaq as an Independent ScriptCHAPTER TWOMuhaqqaq in the Hands of Ibn al-Bawwab and Yaqut al-Musta'simiThe Role of Ibn al-Bawwab in the Development of MuhaqqaqThe Role of Ibn al-Bawwab in the Major ScriptsIbn al- Bawwab and MuhaqqaqA Study of the Individual Letters of Muhaqqaq in the DiwanThe Role of Yaqut al-Musta'simi in MuhaqqaqYaqut and the Major ScriptsYaqut's DisciplesYaqut's Technique in MuhaqqaqCHAPTER THREEMuhaqqaq as Mushaf ScriptThe Flourishing of ibn al-Bawwab's School in MuhaqqaqThe Flourishing of Yaqut's School in MuhaqqaqMuhaqqaq in Architecture - Monumental InscriptionsCHAPTER FOURThe Artistic Features of MuhaqqaqThe General Features of MuhaqqaqThe Muhaqqaq PenDistinguisshing between Scripts - Difficulties and ConfusionsCHAPTER FIVEQarahisari: Life and Influence on the Development of Muhaqqaq and the Ottoman SchoolThe Ottomans Abandon MuhaqqaqReasons for Choosing the Mushaf of QarahisariThe Story of the MushafDescription of the MushafConclusionGlossary of the Arabic TermsBibliographyPART TWO: THE ARTISTIC APPLICATIONSPROJECT ONE: The Muhaqqaq CopybookIntroductionA Historical BackgroundTraining as a CalligrapherMuhaqqaq CopybookTechnical TermsStudy of the AlphabetThe Art Work of the Muhaqqaq Copybook (al-Mashq)PROJECT TWO: Muhaqqaq PanelsA Historical BackgroundThe Presentation of the Muhaqqaq PanelsPROJECT THREE: Muhaqqaq in ArchitectureInscriptions for the Mausoleum of the Martyrs of the Arab Army-JordanThe Story of the ProjectThe ImplementationDetails from the Ink WorkSection from the Edited WorkImages of the Finished Work