’Nastaliq, Iranian Calligraphy’ Seminar in Canada

Significance of Iranian calligraphy was reviewed in a seminar titled ’Nastaliq, Iranian Calligraphy’ in York University in Canada.

Addressing the gathering, Saed Moshki, an Iranian graphic designer focused on the development of Iranian calligraphy from ancient Iran up to the eighth century as well as its link with culture and cultural structures.

He also described aesthetics of Nastaliq as the abstract of Iranian culture and art.

He expounded on relation between Nastaliq script and other Iranian arts by screening a short ten-minute film and displaying photos of Taq-e Kasra (Csteiphon, the highest Iranian citadel from the Sassanid era now located in Iraq), Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan and Yazd Grand Mosque.

Moshki also talked about the prototypes of Kufi script following the advent of Islam and referred to Nastaliq and broken Nastaliq as the first Iranian scripts.

According to him, some sections of rules governing Nastaliq script originate from its geometrical as well as math-like and symmetrical structure.

Moshki pointed out, “Although our alphabet is the same as that of the Arabs, its aesthetics are different.“

Arabs maintain that Nastaliq and broken Nastaliq are not Arabic and Islamic scripts; rather they are completely Iranian because it is used widely in Iran, he said.

After the end of the lecture, a number of York and Toronto university students attended a workshop organized by Moshki.

Iran Mania