Arabic Calligraphy: Naskh Script for Beginners

Every purchase supports the British Museum. Naskh is one of the six major cursive Arabic scripts, with origins dating back to the late 8th century AD. It is still in use today, over 1300 years later! In its earliest form, Naskh was a utilitarian script, mainly used for ordinary correspondence on papyrus. However, during the 10th and 11th centuries, it was completely transformed by the elegant refinements of the great Abbasid calligraphers. The Ottoman Turks also considered Naskh the script most suited for copying the Quran. With your purchase, you are helping to preserve this ancient art form and its rich history.