What is the history of Nastaliq calligraphy?
Calligraphy is one of the traditional and applied arts of this land that has existed in Iran for a long time and has fascinated everyone with its beauty. As Iranians in every era, they have preserved the treasures of Persian language and literature from destruction and distortion through this national art and have passed it on to future generations.
Nastaliq calligraphy, as the national script of our Iranians, was invented by combining the two scripts of Naskh and Tashriq, which were initially called Naskh Tashriq and later merged together due to ease of pronunciation and became Nastaliq. Most of the tazkirah writers believe that Nastaliq calligraphy was invented by Mir Ali Tabrizi (died 850 AH). Although it is not correct to attribute the development of the calligraphy to a single person, and there were early examples of this script before Mir Ali, Mir Ali’s contribution to the organization and compilation of the Nastaliq script was so important and fundamental that later generations have named him as its inventor.
This art matured at the hands of each of the masters such as Mir Ali Heravi, Malik Daylami, Baba Shah Isfahani, and Mohammad Hossein Tabrizi, and reached the highest level of perfection with the capable pen of Mir Emad. In the 12th and 13th centuries, great masters also entered the field of calligraphy and contributed to the maturity of the Nastaliq script and added to its beauty.
What is the importance of learning the Nastaliq script?
The Nastaliq script is a complete mirror of the rich culture, gentle spirit, and temperament of the Iranians. Nastaliq is undoubtedly the most beautiful and delicate of all calligraphy, and for this reason it has been called the bride of calligraphy.
Due to the beauty and splendor of this calligraphy, as well as its use in writing poetry and the Holy Quran, learning it is very useful and important for those interested in Persian art and literature. Also, learning Nastaliq calligraphy as an art and craft plays a very important role in preserving and developing Iranian culture and identity.
