The exhibition ‘Art of calligraphy’ is opened in the Republican Crimean Tatar Art Museum (CAM) in Aqmescit city (Simferopil). The exhibits that demonstrate the art of the masters of calligraphy in Crimea are presented at the exhibition.
The first part of the exhibition contains copies of the works of the Ottoman calligraphers of the 19-20th centuries. The calligraphic works that performed by different handwritings and techniques of the Arabic graphics, indicating of the level of mastery of the Crimean calligraphers are presented there.
As the CMA research fellow Zera Osman said QHA, two of the pleiad of talented Ottoman masters, such as Mehmed Nazif efendi and Halim Özyazıcı - were born in Crimea. According to the museum staff, their work is very valuable, because the names of almost all Crimean calligraphers were lost.
Most of the Arabic graphic manuscripts contain surahs from the Koran and praising the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.v.).
“According to the Prophet Muhammad’s (s.a.v.) sentences, the calligrapher who once rewrote the Koran in his life, is considered an inhabitant of paradise. So they all tried fully to rewrite the Koran at least once in a life” - Z. Osman has told.
Also there presents the poems of Arab authors and copies of the khan Muhabbatname (handwritten messages) of the khans Adil Giray and the Muhammad IV Giray, the compositional centre of which is “tugra” - a kind of calligraphy that presents the representation of Khan's name and title in a stylized form.
The calligraphy was prospered not only on paper as well as on embroidery material and engraving on the metal objects. The Arabic graphic arts - good wishes, the names of Allah, of the Prophet and the angels harmoniously were entwined in conventional flower design and geometrical ornament of the embroidery on towels.
The exhibition also includes photographs - the result of the CMA expedition 2007-2008 in different corners of Crimea. Fragments of religious architectural monuments of the Muslims as well as gravestones that are the examples of calligraphy are depicted on the photos.
Also the works of contemporary specialists of Arabic graphic arts are presented. Museum staff said that the problem of revival of this art in Crimea is very topical today because there is no a single penman in Crimea now.
“Today there is great interest in calligraphy. Perhaps this exhibition will be the first step in the revival of this art in Crimea. Maybe there will be created schools, some day where the masters will teach the elegant art of calligraphy to all one who wishes” - Z. Osman said.
By QHA
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