Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture

Istanbul
1433 H/ 2012 AD
9
th
International Calligraphy Competition
in the name of
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

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ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION
RESEARCH CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC HISTORY, ART AND CULTURE











9
th
INTERNATIONAL
CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION
in the name of
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Istanbul, 1433/2012

4


THE INTERNATIONAL CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION

The idea of the International Calligraphy Competition was first mentioned in the Istanbul
Declaration on Islamic Arts issued by the International Symposium on the Common
Principles, Forms and Themes of Islamic Arts which was organised by the Research Centre
for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) in April 1983. The masters and lovers of
calligraphy attending the symposium considered various aspects of this art and emphasized
the role played by calligraphy in unifying different branches of Islamic arts. They also
recognized the necessity and usefulness of organising a calligraphy competition.


THE PURPOSE OF THE COMPETITION

The purpose of this international competition is to revive and encourage the development of
Classical Islamic Calligraphy. Thus, it aims to encourage artists of Islamic calligraphy to
produce works within the framework of the traditional spirit and rules and to protect it from
trends which emerged outside of the principles of Classical Islamic Calligraphy.
This attempt will provide a common ground to all Muslim calligraphers to exchange their
knowledge and approaches, and enable the development of a mutually appreciated artistic
taste by Muslims all over the world.
In the spirit to encourage young artists to emulate the examples of the great masters of
calligraphy and, at the same time, to commemorate their achievements, the Centre organised
the first international competition (1986) in the name of Hamid al-Amidi (1891-1982), the
second (1989) in the name of Yaqut al-Mustasimi (?-698/1298), the third (1992) in the
name of Ibn al-Bawwab (?-413/1022) on the occasion of the millenium of his death, the
fourth (1997) in the name of Sheikh Hamdullah (833-926/1429-1520), the fifth (2000) in
the name of Sayyid Ibrahim (1897-1994), the sixth (2003) in the name of Mir Imad al-
Hasani (961-1024/1554-1615) on the 400
th
year Hijra of his death, the seventh (2006) in
the name of the Iraqi calligrapher Hashim Muhammad al-Baghdadi (1335-1393/1917-1973)
and the eighth in the name of the Syrian calligrapher Muhammed Badawi al-Dirani (1312-
1387/1894-1967).
We are honoured to dedicate the ninth calligraphy competition to an eminent scholar who
made outstanding contributions towards reviving and promoting the art of calligraphy: Prof.
Ekmeleddin hsanolu.

5
EKMELEDDN HSANOLU

Founder Director General (1980 Dec. 2004) of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art
and Culture (IRCICA) in Istanbul, and current Secretary General (Jan. 2005 - ) of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In acknowledgment of his varied activities and
sustained patronage of the art of calligraphy, since 1980, he is credited with the revival of this
art and the stimulation of artistic and official interest in it, not only at the level of the Islamic
world but also at global level.
Organized the first international calligraphy competition in 1986, a competition which is
currently witnessing preparations for its ninth edition, in appreciation of his merits and
gracious support.
Organized multiple exhibitions of major contemporary calligraphers and had them staged in
different parts of the world. He also mentored the new generation of calligraphers from
different countries, organized training courses for them, revived the tradition of Ijaza
Certification awarding and staged the first official international Ijaza awarding ceremony
for the American calligrapher Mohamed Zakaria, in 1988.
Oversaw the preparation of a reference book on the art of calligraphy and had it published in
English, Turkish, Arabic, Japanese and Malay. He also published masterpieces of calligraphy,
as well as calligraphy exercise books (mashqs) crafted by leading calligraphers.
Supervised the production of two documentary films on the most prominent calligrapher in
the 20
th
century, namely Hamid al-Amadi (Ayta), and two among the leading artists in
gilding and ornamentation, namely Prof. Tahsin Demironat and Mrs. Rikkat Kunt.
Served as a faculty member in a number of science faculties, and later became first professor
and founder chairman of the Department of History of Science in the Istanbul University. He
is also the founder chairman of both the Turkish Society of History of Science and the
Foundation for Research on Islamic History, Art and Culture (SAR). In addition, he served
as chairman of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS)
from 2001 to 2005, and is currently a member of a wide range of international associations,
scientific councils and advisory boards of academic institutions, centres, institutes and
editorial boards of many magazines in both Islamic and Western countries. Among his
publications are a number of books, essays and researches in English, Turkish and Arabic on
science and the history of sciences, Islamic culture, Turkish culture, relations between Islam
and the West, and Turkish-Arab relations. Many of these works have been translated into
other oriental and western languages. He has been the recipient of many medals and
decorations from Kings and Heads of State and was awarded honorary doctorates from a
number of universities in different parts of the world.
His interest in the art of calligraphy started in his early childhood, at his parental home, his
father being endowed with a good handwriting and a pronounced love for calligraphy which
he practiced indeed; so much so that he was fond of copying rare books, which he wanted to
have among his literary possessions. Thus from his early childhood Ekmeleddin hsanolu
was surrounded by many ornate calligraphic paintings hanging on the walls of his home, one
of which was the splendid work of the late Hamid al-Amidi, a fragment from a poem by the
Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I drawn in imitation of the writing of Mehmed Esad el-Yesar. Thus
he had gained an early interest in calligraphy and sound acquaintance with its state in the
Muslim world.

6

01. ORGANISING COMMITTEE
The Organising Committee is established under the Chairmanship of the Director General of
the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA).

02. JURY OF THE COMPETITION
The Jury of the Competition consists of the following experts who are renowned in the field
of Classical Islamic Calligraphy:

Members of the Jury
- Dr. Halit Eren, IRCICA Director General, Chairman of the Organising Committee

- Mr. Musad Khudair al-Borsaidi, Master of Calligraphy, Egypt
- Mr. Ubayda Muhammed Salih al-Banki, Master of Calligraphy, Syria
- Mr. Hamidi Bel'id, Master of Calligraphy, Morocco
- Dr. Abdul-Rida Bahiye, Master of Calligraphy, Iraq
- Mr. Jalil Resuli, Master of Calligraphy, Iran
- Mr. Fuad Baar, Master of Calligraphy, Turkey
- Mr. Davud Bekta, Master of Calligraphy, Turkey
Honorary Members
- Mr. Ahmed Ziya brahim, Master of Calligraphy, Saudi Arabia
- Mr. Hasan elebi, Master of Calligraphy, Turkey
- Prof. M. Uur Derman, Expert and Historian of Calligraphy, Turkey
- Dr. Mohammed Cherifi, Master of Calligraphy, Algeria

03. COMPETITION SECRETARIAT
03.01
All activities related to the competition will be coordinated by the The International
Competition Secretariat established at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and
Culture -IRCICA.
Competition Coordinator: Mr. Said Kasmolu

03.02
All correspondence concerning the Competition should be addressed to:
The International Calligraphy Competition Secretariat
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA)
Yldz Saray, Seyir Kk, Barbaros Bulvar, 34349 Beikta-Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90212 259 1742, Fax: +90212 258 4365, e-mail: calligraphy@ircica.org

03.03
The Competition Secretariat cannot be held responsible for the procedure of work or
decisions of the Jury before or after the results of the competition are announced.

7
04. SUBJECT AND REGULATIONS OF THE COMPETITION
04.01 Styles
The Competition covers the following styles:

a. Jaly Thuluth
To be written with a pen of at least 5 mm. nib as a circular, oval or similarly shaped single
piece composition. The paper can be used either horizontally or vertically.

b. Thuluth
To be written with a pen of maximum 2-3 mm. nib on lines parallel to each other. The paper
can be used either horizontally or vertically.

c. Naskh
To be written with a pen of 1 mm. nib maximum on two pages facing each other on the same
paper.

d. Jaly Taliq
To be written following Yesarizades school with a pen of not less than 5 mm.-wide nib.

e. Taliq (Nastaliq)
To be written following Mir Imads school on oblique or horizontal lines on the same paper
with a pen of 2-3 mm. nib.

f. Jaly Diwani
To be written with a pen of 3-4 mm. nib. The participants should take care not to repeat the
following widespread mistakes in this style. The works that contain these mistakes will be
disqualified.
1- The letter dal at the end of a word ( ), should be written as ( ) rather than as ( ).
2- The vowel marks (..) can be used only where necessary; they should not be
used repeatedly for the sake of decoration.

g. Diwani
To be written in horizontal lines parallel to each other, with a pen of 2 mm. nib maximum.

h. Kufi
To be written with a reed pen of maximum 4-5 mm. nib in Kufic Mushaf style.

i. Riqa
To be written with a pen of 1-3 mm. nib.

j. Maghribi
To be written in Mabsut style with a pen of of 1 mm. nib maximum.

8
04.02 Rules
The works to be submitted to the competition should be written in the traditional way, with a
reed pen, in conformity with the classical rules. Classical black ink must be used in order to
reflect the movement of the reed pen.

04.03 Basis of Evaluation
The works will be evaluated on the basis of the rules of the classical art of calligraphy. Entries
that contain errors in the composition and order of the text which change the meaning will
not be evaluated. Likewise, entries which do not follow the regulations mentioned in this
booklet and/or contain orthographic errors will be disqualified, whatever their artistic value
may be.

04.04 Competition Texts
In order to provide equal chances to all participants, the following texts are given for each
style.

a) Jaly Thuluth (Surat al-Fath, 28)

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3
Mawlana, Jalal al-Din Rumi, Klliyat emsi Tebrizi, Rbaiyyat, Published by Nashri Tulu, p. 1424.

11
f) Jaly Diwani (Surat al-Isra, 80-82)
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Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Salam Saffuri, Nuzhat al-Madjalis wa Muntakhab al-Nafais, p. 323.

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(5)





05. AWARDS AND COPYRIGHT
05.01
Awards totaling US$ 124,500.- are allocated for the Ekmeleddin hsanolu Calligraphy
Competition, to be distributed as follows:

Style I
st
Award 2
nd
Award 3
rd
Award Total
a. Jaly Thuluth 7,500 5,000 2,500 15,000
b. Thuluth 7,500 5,000 2,500 15,000
c. Naskh 7,500 5,000 2,500 15,000
d. Jaly Taliq 5,000 3,000 2,000 10,000
e. Taliq 5,000 3,000 2,000 10,000
f. Jaly Divani 5,000 3,000 2,000 10,000
g. Divani 3,000 2,000 1,000 6,000
h. Kufi 2,000 1,500 1,000 4,500
i. Riqa 2,000 1,500 1,000 4,500
j. Maghribi 2,000 1,500 1,000 4,500
Total 46,500 30,500 17,500 94,500

To encourage the participants, the three best calligraphies to follow after the first three
award-winning works in all fields will receive incentive prizes of US$ 1,000 each
(10x3x1,000= US$ 30,000). Thus, the total number of awards and incentive prizes will be
60.

5
al-Qulub al-Daria, Define Yaynlar, stanbul 2010, p. 22.

13
05.02
The Jury may judge that none of the works submitted in one or more of the styles is worthy of
the first prize or for the incentive prizes. The decision of the Jury in such a case is final as in
all other cases and no objection can be made to this judgment.
05.03
All works submitted to the competition will become properties of IRCICA, regardless of
whether they win a prize or not. These works will be exhibited first at the headquarters of
IRCICA in Istanbul and then in Islamic countries. They may be published or reproduced by
the Centre.
05.04
Information about the date and procedures of the presentation of awards will be released by
the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) at a later date. The Centre
will also consider organising an award presentation ceremony to which the winners of the
first prizes will be invited and which will be accompanied by an exhibition of their works
together with a symposium on the art of calligraphy.
05.05
Certificates of appreciation will be presented to award-winning participants.


06. CONDITIONS AND PROCEDURES OF PARTICIPATION
06.01
Subject to the rules and regulations set out in this booklet, this competition is open to all
individuals capable of producing a work of classical Islamic calligraphy.

06.02
Participants may submit at most one work in each of two separate categories of styles
among the ten categories. Works submitted in more than two style categories or more than
one in one style category will be strictly disregarded.

06.03
Calligraphers who won or shared the first prize in the past competitions can participate in the
present competition.

06.04
The enclosed form should be filled and sent to the Competition Secretariat by the end of
October 2012 at the latest to be able to participate in the competition.

06.05
Sending the works: The texts should not be illuminated; they should not be bent, folded,
pressed, framed or pasted on paperboard. The participant may deliver his/her work(s) in
person or by registered mail. Entries should reach the Competition Secretariat by the end
of February 2013.

14
06.06
The participants are advised to send all correspondence by registered mail to ensure
timeliness. The Competition Secretariat will not answer letters of participants
unless necessary.


07. FORMAT CONDITIONS
07.01
For consideration by the jury, all entries shall observe the following rules and conditions:
a. Identity: The text shall not carry any name, mark or impression which may indicate
the identity of the participant.
b. Colour: The text should be written with black ink preferably on glossy paper of off-
white or light color usually used in calligraphy.
c. Dimensions: Works should be written on 40x60 cm. paper. Entries that do not
conform to these dimensions shall be disqualified.
d. Packing: Care should be taken to use proper packaging to make sure that the
entries reach the Secretariat in flat form, without being bent or folded.

07.02
Liability: The institution organizing the competition or the concerned department is not
liable, in any respect, for the delays, damages or losses which may occur in the post.


08. COMPETITION CALENDAR

Ekmeleddin hsanolu Calligraphy Competition will be organized according to the following
calendar:


08.01 Announcement of the Competition 1 March 2012

08.02 Deadline for registration 31 October 2012

08.03 Deadline for submitting the entries 28 February 2013

08.04 Jury meeting April 2013

08.05 Announcement of the Competition results May 2013

15
9
th
INTERNATIONAL CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION
IN THE NAME OF EKMELEDDN HSANOLU


Participation Form


Name, Surname:....

Place & year of birth: .....

Name of your calligraphy teacher
(*)
:.

Exhibition you organized or participated in
(*)
:




FOTORAF




...............................

............................

Education: ...

Profession: ...

Nationality: .. Signature
used on your work


Branches of styles you wish to participate in
a- Jaly Thuluth
a- Thuluth
b- Naskh
c- Jaly Taliq
d- Taliq
e- Jaly Diwani
f- Diwani
g- Kufi
h- Riqa
i- Maghribi


Permanent Adress :

Telephone, Fax & e-mail
(**)
: ....


(*)
Please answer if revlevant.
(**)
This form can be returned by mail, fax or e-mail.

16



















On behalf of
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA)
The International Calligraphy Competition Secretariat
wishes success to all participants and thanks them for their valuable contributions.


Istanbul, 2012












This booklet is available in English, Arabic and Turkish. A copy may be requested
from the Competition Secretariat by indicating the language preferred.

Yldz Saray, Seyir Kk, Barbaros Bulvar
Beikta 34349 stanbul, Trkiye
Phone: +90 212 259 1742
Fax: +90 212 258 4365
ircica.org
calligraphy@ircica.org


Page Set up: Said Kasmolu,
Printed at: . - Istanbul