Ottoman Style Calligraphy – Workshop Tour

Join us for this unique tour of insightful discovery that will offer you the chance to take part in one of the oldest and most treasured forms of art known to man. You can discover the old and treasured art of calligraphy in Ottoman or Turkish style, also known as Arabic calligraphy. The tour consists of a morning workshop that will teach you basic or more advanced Arabic calligraphy techniques. This will give precious insight into the Turkish culture and civilization, as well as the Islamic religion. Calligraphy is revered among Islamic cultures because it was the primary means for the preservation of the Qur’an. Calligraphy is basically the art of writing, and by extension, of bookmaking. You will have the unique chance to learn this beautiful art from professional and talented teachers, in a comprehensive workshop in Istanbul.

You can read more information about calligraphy, What is Calligraphy?

Calligraphy is one of the oldest arts and traditions in Turkey, from the time of the Ottoman Empire, being mostly associated with the geometric Islamic art on the walls and ceilings of mosques, as well as on the page. The magnificent heritage of this art is still used by contemporary artists in their works, creating impressive calligraphic inscriptions or abstractions. Calligraphy became part of the Turkish culture after their conversion to Islam when the characters in the Arabic script took an aesthetic value. The letters became artistic symbols and the words took a very artistic visual impact, depending on how the letters were drawn.

You will also have the chance to learn a little about the history of this wonderful art of calligraphy in this workshop. The first to be used and become popular was the Kufic script, characterized by angular, square and horizontal strokes, with long verticals and bold, compact circles. One of the most beautiful scripts of Arabic calligraphy is the Diwani script, developed in the 16th and 17th century and extremely popular during the reign of Suleyman I the Magnificent. Both communicative and decorative, this cursive style was characterized by the complexity of the line within the letter and the close juxtaposition of the letters within a word. When teaching or learning calligraphy, figurative images are used to visualize the shape of the letters.You can click here for an amazing tour: Dolmabahce Palace and Camlica Hill Tour.

During this intense and rewarding workshop, you can learn traditional Ottoman and Arabic style calligraphy, or you could also learn Latin style calligraphy. You will be using traditional writing instruments, used for centuries by Ottoman and Turkish calligraphers. The kalem is a pen made of dried reed or bamboo. The ink is carefully and creatively used, both in color and in intensity, so that the compositions can have very dynamic effects. Whether you want a quick introduction to Ottoman and Turkish calligraphy, or you need to improve your style, this morning workshop in central Istanbul is the perfect opportunity to do it.