Have you ever studied a separate language from your native tongue, studied the alphabet of that language and reveled in the beauty of the written words; especially languages like the Chinese, Russian, Japanese with their own characters and symbols.

Well one of the most intricate forms of writing comes from the Islamic language, where the patterns move in different ways to convey different forms of beauty primarily floral or geometric.

The reason I am bringing this up is because I live near an Arabic school and I see the different styles of writing, it is very similar but not exactly the same; it is as though the styles of serif and sans-serif are embedded into the writing and culture.

So, whenever I pass by this school I usually see some posters in the windows or the writing on the walls of the brick and mortar, and it thoroughly intrigued me to find out the meaning behind the styles.

Basically what I found out through my slightly in-depth searching skills is that Islamic calligraphy represents a form of art that glorifies God’s word.

The Qur’an is different from the Torah or Gospels where there is little reason for Muslims to tell stories through pictures because the Koran is open to various interpretations and God cannot be represented explicitly.

This concept is the foundation for Islamic calligraphy.

Islamic calligraphy has a significant amount of meaning attached to it. One way that Muslims glorify God’s word is through writing, beautiful calligraphy using various floral and geometric designs based on the laws of nature often referred to as arabesques.

Islamic calligraphy is very important to the culture and usually holds great spiritual meaning for certain populations; however, people are able and given the opportunity to interpret the writing in whichever way they choose.

Next time you see a piece of Islamic calligraphy, take one second and appreciate the beauty behind it.

Even to the untrained eye, if you really take a look you will be able to notice the intricate detail where some style are bolder, angular while others run smoothly across the page, moving and folding with great liquidity.

So take some time, and really look at this beautiful form of Islamic art.