After calligraphers in Damascus had a great status, the Abbasids came and overthrew the Umayyad Caliphate. As a result, calligraphers and artists moved to Baghdad, as it was the city of great caliphs like Al-Rashid, Al-Mansur, and Al-Ma’mun. Scholars and writers also migrated to Baghdad to be closer to the caliph and the state, and to receive rewards for their creativity from the princes and caliphs.
During the Umayyad period, the focus was on building and establishing the state, while the Abbasid era was a time of prosperity and flourishing, and it was essential for the arts to thrive accordingly.
During the Abbasid Caliphate era.
The calligrapher Al-Dahhak bin Aajlan became famous during the reign of Abu al-Abbas, in addition to the calligrapher Ishaq bin Hamad, who gained fame during the caliphates of Al-Mahdi and Al-Mansur. During their reigns, the number of types of calligraphy reached 11.
During the era of the calligraphers Al-Dahhak and Ishaq.
Many new styles and types of calligraphy emerged, and sciences, arts, and knowledge flourished during the caliphates of Al-Rashid and Al-Ma’mun. Calligraphers competed in improving their scripts, and their number surpassed twenty, varying between developed and newly introduced styles. The calligrapher Ibrahim Al-Shajari, or Al-Sajzi, invented the Thuluth and the two-thirds scripts. Before the end of the third century, his brother, Yusuf Al-Shajari, invented a new script called the large circular script, which was admired by Al-Fadl bin Sahl, the vizier of Al-Ma’mun. He promoted it and spread it across all royal decrees issued by the caliphate’s administration. It later became known as the “Riyasi script” and was widely recognized as the “signature script.”
After this time, Abu Ali Muhammad bin Muqla, the minister, emerged and organized Arabic calligraphy.
He set standards and improvements for the Thuluth script, refining it to its best form, and it became a model to be followed in Arabic calligraphy.
Abu Ali Muhammad bin Muqla, the minister, was also able to develop the Muhaqqaq script and improve the Diwani script. He mastered the Matn script, excelled in the Rayhan script, and the Ruq’ah script. He created the Naskh script and introduced it in the caliphate’s official records, leaving his geometric imprint on the art of calligraphy and penmanship.
He became famous in artistic circles as a calligrapher and also served as a minister to three caliphs: Al-Muqtadir, Al-Qahir Billah, and Al-Radi Billah.
The leadership of Ibn Muqla in the art of calligraphy continued until the 5th century, after which Ali bin Hilal, known as “Ibn Al-Bawwab,” gained fame. He developed Ibn Muqla’s style and established a school of calligraphy. He also invented the Rayhani script.
The number of scripts during the Abbasid era reached more than eighty.
This indicates the advancement of decoration and art alongside calligraphy. A new script also appeared, called the “Muqarram” script, which is very fine. Calligraphers began to use it creatively in the decoration of the Quran on all of its pages, despite its small size, which could be as small as 6 × 8 cm.
