Calligraphy (from Greek, meaning
“
beautiful writing
”
) is the art of
fine handwriting. The term may refer to letters, wor
ds, pages, or
even whole documents to which aesthetic principles and skill
ed
penmanship have been applied.
In Islamic culture, calligraphic writing is accomplished by
using a
broad-edged reed, quill, or nib pen held at a slant.
In a country where Islam is practiced, calligraphy is of g
reat
importance since depictions of humans and animals are not
allowed. The copying of the Koran is considered a relig
ious act and
Islamic calligraphy is much esteemed because of its religiou
s
associations. Major styles of script are Kufi, a formal sty
le with an
angular character, Sülüs, a cursive flowing script writte
n with
rounded letters, Divani, generally used for writing t
he decrees, and
Talik. These scripts are also classified in themselves according
to
the places that they are used or their sizes.
Aesthetics, patience and imagination are key characteristi
cs of
Ottoman-Turkish calligraphy.
Calligraphy was a part of the Ottoman Book Arts togeth
er with the
Ottoman miniature painting, illumination (tezhip), b
ookbinding (cilt)
and paper marbling (ebru).
Led by a local expert artist, for all levels of intere
st and experience,
this workshop will provide -
Hands-on instruction on how to write in calligraphy
An opportunity to experience calligraphy writing, a
spiritual
geometry produced with materials.
Interaction with the local artist to learn about his/
her life
involving his art
Familiarity with the history and tradition of this a
rt
Discover the artist within!
The workshop price includes a
ll
eq
uipment and materials needed to
make your own artwork, as well as complementary tea and
coffee.
Commentary and English translation services will be prov
ided by
our IWI partner by
Ş
erif Yenen.
We are off to discover one of the liveliest areas of the city; with multi-coloured lights, street vendors, children playing, the smell of cardamom coffee…. A wonderful place for street photography, or just for taking the time to observe and absorb the atmosphere. In the experienced hands of our IWI partner Monica Fritz, we can immerse ourselves in a fascinating and complex neighbourhood which few of us might otherwise explore.
This religiously conservative neighbourhood is filled with contrasts - it’s a delight to slow down the pace and notice the subtleties. We start in Aksaray at the impressive and unusual 19th century mosque built by an Italian architect, still in its original state with a large chandelier and light pouring in through the windows creating interesting graphic streaks on the soft grey carpet.
Next up is the famous local antique market of Hor Hor, 6 floors’ worth of Ottoman delights to hunt through for that unique bargain buy. We will try to manage our time carefully – you can come back another day! Continuing on, we come to the wonderful Fatih mosque, one of the largest complexes in the city. Its interior open space gives a sense of lightness, despite its size. The courtyard is always filled with families, Istanbul’s new Syrian community, and groups of teens enjoying time together.
Exiting from the mosque, we’ll have fun negotiating our way through the great Carşamba (Wednesday) Bazaar, and then head down to the back streets to encounter an array of Syrian shops and eateries. We can visit the lesser known Hirka Serif mosque, a small 19th century mosque known for its Ramadan display of the Prophet Mohammed’s cloak.
A very different lunch stop will be taken – Syrian, or Yemeni?!
