Art-Türkiye

On the occasion of the UNESCO International Day of Islamic Art (18 November), let’s discover the Art of Hat. Hüsn-i Hat is the traditional calligraphy in Islamic art, in Turkey. In 2021, it was inscribed on UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Hüsn-i Hat is the centuries-old practice of writing letters of Arabic origin in a measured and proportional manner while taking into consideration certain aesthetic values. Traditional tools include a specific type of paper glazed with organic substances, a reed pen, pen knives, a special slab for trimming the reed pen, an inkwell, soot ink and a pen case. Many calligraphers, or hattats, make their own tools, and they play an important role in the transmission of this tradition, passing on their knowledge and craft skills through apprenticeships. The Art of Hat can be written on paper or leather. It may also be applied –among others- on stone, marble, glass and wood.

Hüsn-i Hat has many different styles. Today, it is still used in sacred and literary works, and on mosques, Turkish baths and temples.

For more information, you can watch this video (English and Turkish versions).

Fancy a virtual tour?

Then, do not hesitate to take a virtual museum tour. The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is the first museum in the country bringing together Turkish and Islamic art works. Its collections are extremely diverse and they host a vast selection of works from the earliest period of Islamic art up to the 20^th century.

Sources/Photographs taken from: https://turkishmuseums.com/museum/detail/2079-istanbul-turkish-and-islamic-arts-museum/2079/4, https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/hsn-i-hat-traditional-calligraphy-in-islamic-art-in-turkey-01684

Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye

#ICBSS #MoC2022 #CultureBSEC # Turkey #Art