Sharjah: An Iranian calligrapher is holding live demonstrations of the dying Kufic script, the oldest form of Islamic writing, at the Sharjah International Book Fair.
Wahid Jazayeri said the earliest Quranic verses were written in Kufic script — some 14 centuries ago — but the format has all but disappeared.
“People can’t write or understand the Kufic script today. Nowadays, the Naskh style is predominant. I wanted to rediscover Kufic because it’s so ancient and inspirational,” Jazayeri said.
“There were simply no pens left that were cut for primary Kufic so, after trial and error, I finally managed to cut the pen for writing the Kufic way. The secret is in the cutting. I love the style because the letters remind me of shapes found in nature, in trees and rocks.”
He added that it took him 20 years of practice to make it this far. Jazayeri is showcasing his masterpiece — an 11kg binding of Chapter No 55 of the Quran — for the first time at the fair.
The set of 78 verses, written on animal parchment and decorated with gold, are not for sale. Jazayeri said his mission is to write the entire Quran in Kufic script and he has already started on Chapter No 1 at the fair.
Jazayeri added: “Kufic is a symbol of Islamic culture. Many companies and organisations use it in their logo.”
At the fair, his works cost between Dh1,000 and Dh7,000. There are also Dh10-Dh80 postcard-sized printed versions.
He can be found at his stall at the fair in Hall 4, near the link to Hall 5.
Seemingly oblivious to the crowds and noise, Jazayeri appears engrossed in his work, carefully dipping the tip of the bamboo pen’s tip into black ink to draw the right amount. The goatskin parchment he writes on smells like leather.
Pacing his movements, it takes him roughly half an hour to write one line.
Jazayeri has also written more than 10 books on the subject, some of them by New York-based publishers. The pictures of Kufic writings in the book also carry the modern equivalent of the script in a side note so people can understand them.
More information on the Kufic script and a movement to revive interest in the style is available on kuficpedia.org, which Jazayeri has a role in initiating.
The 11-day fair lasts until November 14 at Expo Centre.
