Kufic Inscription Research Articles

Robert Byron: An Iconoclast on the Road to Appreciation of Islamic Architecture

England in 1933 was a claustrophobic, desolate, and enervating country generating a generation of discontents like Robert Byron. Unsatisfied with the received ideas of Western aestheticism, he aligned himself with Islamic aestheticism and departed for Oxiana to study Islamic architecture resulting in his The Road to Oxiana, a masterpiece in travel writing. This study contends that Byron is an iconoclast who undermines the rhetoric of colonialism and imperialism in his travel book. To elaborate its analysis, the study employs Holland’s and Huggan’s idea of countertravel writing along with psychoanalysis. It argues that Byron’s countertravel writing in his narrative manifests in two ways. Firstly, when he critiques the reductive picture of Islamic architecture by exalting and appreciating its beauty, especially its Kufic inscriptions. Secondly, when he extols Gohar Shad, a renowned patroness of architecture by acquitting her of the orientalist charge and acknowledging her contributions to Islamic architecture. In doing so, he reveals that she is his ‘anima’ and archetypal mother.

Osmanlı Döneminin Son Yüzyılında İmar Edilen Yapılardaki Tezyini Kûfî Yazılar

Tezyini kûfî yazı, Anadolu’da Selçuklu mimari ve yazılı eserleriyle belirmeye başlamıştır. Osmanlı Devleti’nin kuruluş ve gelişim döneminde tezyini kûfî yazının birçok mimari yapıda tezyini unsur olarak kullanıldığı görülürken, 16. yüzyılda mimari alanda kullanımı giderek azalmıştır. 1863 senesinde yapımı tamamlanan Kağıthane Sadabad Camii mihrab yazısı ile üç asır aradan sonra tezyini kûfî yazının kullanımı Osmanlı mimarisinde tekrar görülmeye başlamıştır. Ebüzziyâ Mehmed Tevfik Bey, 19. yüzyıl sonunda farklı alanlarda tezyini kûfî yazı ile birçok çalışma yapmış ve böylelikle üç asır kullanımı bırakılmış olan tezyini kûfî yazının yaygınlaşmasına, Osmanlı Devletinin son döneminde öncülük etmiştir. Osmanlı Devleti’nin son döneminde imar edilmiş pek çok Osmanlı mimari yapısında tezyini kûfî yazının kullanımının tercih edildiği görülmektedir. Özellikle Sultan II. Abdülhamid dönemi Osmanlı mimarisindeki resmî kurumlarda tezyini kûfî yazı uygulamalarının, devlet yönetimi tarafından ülkenin modernleşmesi ve yeni bir kimlik inşa etme hedefi doğrultusunda farklı ve yenilikçi bir yaklaşım olması nedeniyle bilinçli olarak tercih edildiğine işaret etmektedir.

An Arabic Construction Inscription of 1418 from the Tsakhur Village of Jinykh

The article examines the content of the Arabic inscription discovered by the author in the mountainous Tsakhur village of Jinykh in Dagestan. The inscription was made on the occasion of the mosque reconstruction, it contains the name of the organizer of the repair works and is dated 821 AH, which corresponds to 1418. It has been established that the initial construction of the mosque in Jinykh took place much earlier, which is confirmed by the discovery of an Arabic Kufic inscription of the 12th–13th centuries within the wall of the mosque. The technique of the 1418 inscription, which was made in the calligraphic Naskh handwriting, greatly differs from the vast majority of other medieval inscriptions in the region. The description and translation of the text are accompanied by linguistic comments.

ЕЩЕ ОДНА НАХОДКА ВОСТОЧНОГО ЗЕРКАЛА СО СФИНКСАМИ НА СРЕДНЕМ ЕНИСЕЕ

The article is devoted to the publication of another metal button mirror with paired figures of sphinxes and a floral ornament with a Kufic inscription, recently discovered on the territory of the Middle Yenisei. In this region, similar items are not only rare (exhibits of the Minusinsk and Abakan museums), but are also markers of the northern border of the distribution of these items in the Mongolian time. The сlarity of the decoration details of the product gives every reason to consider it far from being the latest copy from the original. Sufficiently good preservation of the images on the mirror (epigraphics, fantastic animals and floral decorations) makes it possible to analyze in detail not only individual artistic details, but also to make a probable attribution of the origin and chronology of this object. The peculiarities of the style of the Kufic inscription and images of sphinxes make it possible to date the mirror no later than the 11th–12th centuries, and also to include it in the circle of objects produced in Iran or Central Asia. The absence of such imported items in the south of Western Siberia north of the middle reaches of the Yenisei River is probably due to the historical features of the cultural ties of the medieval population in the initial period of the 2nd millennium AD. Overall, the new find of a mirror with a Kufic inscription and a paired image of the sphinxes on the background of a floral ornament makes it possible to clarify the local and general features of the distribution of such items in Eurasia in the Middle Ages. This, in turn, provides certain grounds for reconstructing the dynamics of the changes in the external relations of Southern Siberia over the past millennium.

NEW FINDINGS OF ARABIC INSCRIPTIONS OF THE XI–XVIII CC. IN THE VILLAGES OF AKHTY DISTRICT OF DAGESTAN.

The article is devoted to the analysis of some new findings of Arabic-language epigraphic monuments, found by the author in mountain Akhty district of Dagestan during field research, aimed at studying the rich epigraphic heritage of the district. The inscriptions are identified in different settlements, also in abandoned rural settlements in inaccessible mountainous terrain. All these inscriptions are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. In terms of genre, the epigraphic monuments submitted in the article, are represented with building inscriptions, benevolent, proprietary inscriptions, epitaphs and excerpts from the Koran. Chronologically the inscriptions cover the period from the XI c. up to the end of the XVIII c. Part of the inscriptions are dated. To determine the time of writing of undated inscriptions the dating technique by paleographic features of writing is mainly used. The earliest inscriptions are made in Arabic “kufi” handwriting. Kufic inscriptions are first found in highland lezgin villages Maza and Gdym. The findings of kufic inscriptions in the village Maza confirm the information from written sources that this village has centuries-old history. Consequently, the information about the early history of the village Maza, which is set out in the historical essay Ta’rikh Maza, should be recognized as real. The previously unknown kufic inscription of the XII–XIII cc., revealed in the ancient village Khnow, is a fine sample of medieval Arabic calligraphy. Of great interest is the epitaph of 1468-69 preserved in the sanctuary of the village Lutkun, where the date is indicated with numbers. This fact is very rare in medieval inscriptions of Dagestan. It is suggested that one of the eponyms of the sanctuary was a muslim activist of the XV c. The inscriptions of the XVIII c. from villages Yalak, Yaltsug and Khkem inform about the construction of bridges and mausoleum, and the proprietary inscriptions of the XVIII c. from villages Yalak and Khrug are made in connection with the construction of private residential buildings.

TWO ARTISTICALLY FINISHED MUSLIM STELES OF THE 14th CENTURY FROM KUBACHI (DAGESTAN, RUSSIA)

The article describes two tombstones of the XIV century. in the form of high trapezoidal stone slabs (the lower end is narrower than the upper part) from the largest artistic center of Dagestan - the village of Kubachi. They are located in the medieval Muslim cemetery "Bidakh Khuppe" (in the lane with Kubach - "Cemeteries on the other side"), 1.5-2 km south of the old part of Kubacha, in the lower half of the northern slope of Mount Tsitsila. The monuments under consideration are decorated at a high artistic level with late Kufic relief Arabic inscriptions and floral ornaments. The inscriptions were made at different times in the “blooming kufi” style by the same master stone cutter, calligrapher and ornamentalist, which is proved by the commonality of the forms of both monuments, the technique of their carving, the peculiarities of their decorative finishes, the ornamental style, and the unity of the compositional schemes of the decor. The name of the master who made these monuments is unknown. The article clarifies the existing in the decor of the monuments and certain differences in the style of the letters of the Kufic inscriptions, the details of the ornamental compositions of the central fields, which, obviously, are associated with the different times of the manufacture of the stelae. On the monument number 2 there is a date - 783 AH / 1381-82. (according to the Gregorian calendar); there is no date on monument No. 1. The author of the article believes that monument No. 1 was made 12-15 years earlier than monument No. 2.In the article, both tomb stelae are considered as highly artistic works of Muslim art based on the features of the decorative finish of the letters of the relief Arabic inscriptions of the curb strips, their proportionality and proportionality, as well as taking into account the expressive floral ornament of the central fields and the framing epigraphic border strips, the unity and interconnection of the details of the compositions of the central field (stele No. 2) and upper side corners.

Arabic-language Epigraphy of Mosques in Lezgin Villages of Akhty District of Dagestan (Inscriptions of 11th–18th Centuries)

The author of this article presents some results of the author’s study of the Arabic-language epigraphy of old Lezgin mosques in the Akhty District of the Republic of Dagestan. The mountainous Akhty District inhabited by Lezgins is located in the far south of Dagestan and Russian Federation, near the Main Caucasian ridge. The inscriptions of mosques are an important part of the district’s rich epigraphic heritage. The method of continuous study of epigraphic monuments made it possible to identify many Arabic-language inscriptions in different settlements, and also in abandoned rural settlements in hard-to-reach mountainous areas. The author considers not all epigraphic monuments of mosques, but only some of them. Many of them are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. In addition, a new updated interpretation of some inscriptions already known to science is proposed. The translation of the inscriptions is accompanied by scientific commentary. Chronologically, the inscriptions cover the period from the 11th–12th centuries to the end of the 18th century. The epigraphy of this chronological period is found on the walls of only some villages in the Akhty District. A portion of the inscriptions considered are dated. To determine the time of undated inscriptions, the method of dating by paleographic features of writing is applied. In terms of genre, the epigraphic monuments of mosques consist of building and benevolent inscriptions, excerpts from Quranic Verse. The discovery of Kufic inscriptions from the 11th–12th centuries on the walls of mosques indicate that the most ancient mosques in the villages of the Akhty District have a millennial history. The geography of Kufic inscriptions found indicates the early spread of Islam even in the most remote and hard-to reach places in southern Dagestan. The location of the inscriptions, which for a long time were considered not preserved, has been established. Among them is the oldest dated building inscription in Arabic on the territory of Russia — from 563 AH (1167/68). After the establishment of rural communities in the Samur district of Dagestan in the beginning of the 17th century, the construction or repair of mosques was carried out, mostly either by the communities or by the representatives of the local Muslim elite.

MEDIEVAL EPIGRAPHY OF THE VILLAGE OF KHNOV (XI-XV CENTURIES): NEW DATA

The history of studying the rich epigraphic heritage of the ancient Dagestani village of Khnov dates back more than half a century. The vast majority of epigraphic monuments of the village are written in Arabic. Our work on the continuous study of khnovo inscriptions has led to the identification of many previously unknown monuments. The purpose of the article is to present the results of the author's study of medieval inscriptions of the XI–XV centuries. They cover different genres of epigraphy: construction, religious and edifying texts, inscriptions-epitaphs. Previously unknown Kufic inscriptions Dating from palaeographic features within the XI–XII centuries have been identified and introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. With good reason they can be considered the most ancient monuments of Kufic script from Knova. A newly discovered inscription of the XIV–XV centuries testifies to the early existence of the minaret in Hnova.
 In addition, we offer a new reading, interpretation or alternative Dating of a number of already known science khnovo inscriptions of the XII–XV centuries. These include the famous inscription from 1401 on the construction of the minaret, Kufic inscriptions of the epigraphic frieze of the mosque of the Western quarter, epitaphs of tombstones of the XIV–XV centuries. It was found that the writing style of Kufic frieze inscriptions differs from each other, which can indicate both the different nature of their creation, and the work of different carvers-calligraphers.

A Study of the Decorations in the Four Minarets of Sultan Hussein Mirza School in Herat

Sultan Hussein Mirza School is one of the great and magnificent buildings of the Timurid period of Herat, which is located in the north of the old city of Herat. The school was once a place for scientists and scholars in the region, and historians have written extensively about it. The buildings and paintings of this famous school are collapsing and demolishing day by day. The purpose of writing this article is to examine the decorations in the four minarets of Sultan Hussein Mirza School. This article is conducted by Library and Field Research method. The Library Research is related to the history and process of the school building and its post excavations. In the Field Research section, the author himself has visited the school area and the four remaining minarets of Sultan Hussein’s school and wrote the observations of each minaret separately. The results show that all four minarets in school are decorated. Its decorations include geometric patterns, Arabesque motifs, Kufic inscriptions and Muqarnas.

EPIGRAPHY OF THE XII–XVIII CENTURIES FROM THE AGUL VILLAGE OF RICHA (NEW DATA)

In the abundance of epigraphic monuments and their historical and cultural significance, the ancient Aghul village of Richa stands out among other mountain villages and auls of Dagestan. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the study of Arabic inscriptions found in the village of Richa. More than twenty previously unknown inscriptions in various genres of epigraphy – construction, ownership and vital records, epitaphs and religious texts – have been for the first time introduced into modern linguistics. Notable among them are the most ancient monuments of Arabic Kufic writings, paleographically dated the XI-XII centuries, which testifies to the early popularization of Islam in Richa. In addition, the authors propose a new way of reading some of the Richa inscriptions that are already known to science. The presence of Kufic inscriptions on the walls of three mosques in Richa, as well as Naskh inscriptions dated 1242 on the walls of another mosque, suggest that mosques had existed in Richa even before the Mongols came here in 1239. Researchers have revealed the oldest dated epitaph in Richa (1300–01) in which the term alim (scholar) was used for the first time in the epigraphy of Dagestan. New valuable data have been obtained on the history of construction and reconstruction of Muslim places of worship, mausoleums, sanctuaries, and public buildings. Names of many local craftsmen, carvers and calligraphers have become known. The inscriptions contain valuable information on representatives of the medieval religious elites and Sufi figures. The rich social and professional terminology used in the newly identified Richa inscriptions is also of interest: sultan, shaykh, pir, murid, alim, qadi, ustad (usta), qatib, nakir, sahib, gulam, kavha. Translations of the texts are accompanied by scientific comments.

Kufic Inscriptions of the 10th–13th Centuries from Avaristan

The paper presents the publication of several inscriptions in the Arabic Kufic script carved on stone in the period of the 10th-13th centuries and discovered in the Avar ethnic area of Dagestan. All of them, except the first one, are published for the first time. This epigraphic material indicates that the process of the gradual spread of Islam started in Dagestan already at the end of the 10th century.

The Morphology of Kufic Inscriptions in Mosques and Minarets in Isfahan: The Cases of Razi and Azari Styles

خط به­ عنوان وسیلة ارتباطی با ایجاد امکان انتقال اندیشه ­ها به آیندگان و تأثیری که بر پیشبرد تمدن و فرهنگ بشری داشته، دارای اهمیت است. خط­ کوفی آغاز کتیبه­ نگاری در بناهای اسلامی بوده و با گذر زمان راه رشد را پیموده و گونه­ های جدیدی از آن ایجاد شده­است. در باب هنر اسلامی پژوهش­ های بسیاری صورت ­گرفته اما به بررسی دقیق و گونه­ شناسی خط­کوفی به‌ صورت جامع کمتر توجه شده­است. یافته­های محققان پیشین در این پژوهش تکمیل ­شده و زیرگونه ­هایی نیز شناسایی شده است. به اعتقاد نگارندگان بین شکل کتیبه‌ کوفی و شناخت شیوة بنا(رازی و آذری) رابطه مستقیم وجود ­دارد. لذا هدف اصلی گونه ­شناسی کتیبه‌های کوفی در مساجد جامع و مناره­های اصفهان منتسب به شیوه­های رازی و آذری است. روش تحقیق توصیفی، تطبیقی و تحلیلی است و اطلاعات از ­طریق منابع کتابخانه­ای و میدانی به­دست آمده­است. براساس یافته­ ها مشخص گردید که کتیبه­‌کوفی ساده دارای دو زیرگونه است که براساس شکل انتهای حروف کشیده چونلا والف قابل تفکیک است. کوفی تزیینی نیز دارای چهار دسته کلی”ساده،”پیچیده،”گره­دار و”گردان است. نوع گره ­دار خود دارای دو زیر­گونة با نقوش”تکرار­شونده و ”متفاوت است. همچنین کتیبه بنایی از­نظر شکل و نحوة گسترش حداقل دارای شش‌گونه(ساده با فاصلة مساوی،”دندانه‌ای،”گره ­دار،”تابع شکل قاب،”تودررتو و”مادر و فرزند) است. در این پژوهش همچنین ریزگونه‌ها، طرح و زمینه، جنس، رنگ و موقعیت مکانی در نمونه­ ها مورد بررسی قرار گرفته است.

Pengenalan ringkas duit syiling Islam Koleksi Jabatan Muzium Sarawak

This article, briefly discusses on the coins in the Sarawak Museum collection: coins in general, the earliest coin produced, coin making, and some selected Islamic coins, representing the Dynasties of Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Anatolia Seljuk, Almoravid, Mamluk, Artuqid, Ilkhanid, Safavid, Qajar and Ottoman, that are on display at the Sarawak Islamic Heritage Museum. Each of these coins has certain characteristics that made them unique from coins of other Islamic periods. Among the common features found on Islamic coins are the use of the Hijri year (commencing with the migration of Prophet Muhammad PBUH from Mecca to Medina, which later marks the first year of the Muslim calendar) and Kufic inscriptions.

Intersecting squares: applied geometry in the architecture of Timurid Samarkand

ABSTRACTThis paper offers an overview of a collection of architectural patterns ornamented with Square Kufic inscriptions, focusing on the Bibi Khanum mosque built by Timur at the end of the fourteenth century in Samarkand. The paper discusses ways in which these repeating patterns may be seen as collections of adjacent and overlapping squares, several of which are original schemes that appear first in Timurid buildings. The paper details one of these schemes, Double Square, where two squares intersect on their diagonal axes. These patterns are presented as a system, rather than as individual designs, for the first time here. The intersecting square arrangements are uniquely appropriate for the rigid angularity of Square Kufic calligraphy; their patterns are a result of the practical application of script in architecture. They offer an exceptional union of calligraphy and geometry in the architectural arts of the Persianate world.

Early South Arabian‐Islamic bilingual inscription from Najran

At the foot of a mountain locally known as ‘Upper Naṣla Mountain' in the centre of Riǧla quarter which lies on the southeastern part of Najran city, an Islamic inscription written in Arabic Kufic script and a reproduction of its contents in Musnad script were recently found. They are located about three metres apart. Beside the Kufic inscription there were two other Islamic inscriptions; one of them belongs to the same person mentioned in the bilingual inscription, whereas the other refers to a different person. These two inscriptions will be included in this paper because of their temporal and spatial link to the bilingual inscription and their historical significance in assisting its dating (1).

Palmyra: Excavations, 1998

Between September 7 and October 6, the Mission worked on the long range project (begun in 1988) to uncover and prepare for public display a sector of the downtown area, featuring monuments of the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods. Last season the excavation of a church with three aisles and an apse was completed; judging by a Kufic inscription reused in the pavement (now in the Museum), the structure was erected in the 8th cent. and abandoned early in the 9th. The objective of the present season was to excavate the dependencies of this church and the neighborhood east and north of it.

The Kufic Inscription in Persian Verses in the Court of the Royal Palace of Mas'ūd III at Ghazni

The Kufic Inscription in Persian Verses in the Court of the Royal Palace of Mas'ūd III at Ghazni

Alessio Bombaci, The Kufic Inscription in Persian Verses in the Court of the Royal Palace of Masʿūd III at Gkazni

Alessio Bombaci, The Kufic Inscription in Persian Verses in the Court of the Royal Palace of Masʿūd III at Gkazni

The Kufic Inscription in Persian Verses in the Court of the Royal Palace of Mas'ud III at Ghazni

The Kufic Inscription in Persian Verses in the Court of the Royal Palace of Mas'ud III at Ghazni

A Bronze Bowl from Egypt

incised design consisting of a vine scroll arranged symmetrically around the center; a kufic inscription runs in a single line all around the rim of the bowl.1 (PL XXXIII, fig. i and Figure i). The design, based on a very common motif of semi abstract vine scroll patterns, offers little beyond a general indication that the bowl was probably made in Egypt between the ioth and the 12th century (Figure i). The motif of a dotpattern [actually consisting of small circles with a small dot in the center] that fills most of the background against which the vine-scroll is set, points equally to Egypt as country of origin. More telling, and, in fact, decisive, is the inscription. Even though of limited interest as far as its content is concerned, it is of a distinct epigraphic nature that secured the attribution of the small bowl to Egypt. The inscription reads: