Knowra Kufic Kufic Kufic is an angular style of Arabic script, among the earliest forms used to write the Quran and for inscriptions. Its letterforms range from simple, unornamented writing to elaborate geometric designs.
Arabic alphabet : The writing system used for Arabic and several other languages, written from right to left with connected letters. Its letters and joining rules provide the basic forms that Kufic shapes.
Arabic letterforms : The written shapes of Arabic letters, which change according to position and connection with neighboring letters. Kufic adapts these forms into distinctive angular and often elongated shapes.
Blue Quran : An early medieval Quran manuscript written in gold script on indigo-dyed parchment. Its monumental gold writing is a celebrated example of early Quranic Kufic.
Naskh : A rounded Arabic script widely used for copying books and, later, printing Arabic text. Its flowing, compact forms contrast with Kufic’s more angular monumental appearance.
Arabic calligraphy : The artistic practice of writing Arabic script with deliberate attention to letterform, composition, and rhythm. Kufic is one of the major historical styles within this broader practice.
Arabic diacritics : Marks added to Arabic writing to indicate short vowels, pronunciation, or distinctions between otherwise similar letters. Early Kufic often omitted or sparsely used these marks, leaving context to guide reading.
Samarra Quran : An early Abbasid Quran manuscript notable for its large-scale Kufic script and parchment leaves. Its broad, carefully spaced writing shows Kufic’s use in prestigious manuscripts.
Thuluth : A large, cursive Arabic calligraphic script used especially for headings and architectural inscriptions. Thuluth offers a more curved and fluid alternative for prominent inscriptions.
Abbasid Caliphate : A caliphate that ruled much of the Islamic world from 750 to 1258, with its capital in Baghdad. Abbasid-era scribes and patrons developed and commissioned influential Kufic forms.
Arabic calligraphic proportions : Systems of measurement that regulate the relative dimensions and spacing of Arabic letters. Proportional rules help explain the disciplined geometry of formal Kufic writing.
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