Speaking to Aljazeera, Jalloul said he became interested in Arabic calligraphy at the age of 14 and learned the art before masters such as Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Sabouni who was himself a student of Turkish calligrapher Hussein Hosni.

Jalloul has contributed to writing one of the largest Qurans in the world known as the ‘Mushaf al-Sham’. The size of each of the sheets of this Quran is 2*1 meters. He was responsible for writing the 7^th Juze (Part) of Quran and says it was a difficult task.

He has participated in several international competitions and won his first award in 2003 in a competition organized by Turkey’s Albaraka Bank. He has also received awards in Sharjah, Dubai, and Istanbul in different contests.

Jalloul, in 2011, contributed to the writing of Quran at King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran.

He has also written the national Mushaf (copy of Quran) of the UAE in Dubai within three years.

Due to security issues in his hometown Aleppo, he migrated to Turkey and now lives in Gaziantep.

The computer and the Internet have not influenced the position of Arabic calligraphy and it has remained steadfast in the face of the changes that occurred in societies, Jalloul said.

Jalloul believes that the demand for Arabic calligraphy increases among the Arab communities in Turkey, and even the Turkish youths are showing great interest in Islamic arts.

4004676