Ottoman Calligraphy: How to Read the Art of Istanbul’s Mosques

Step into any great mosque in Istanbul, and words surround you: verses of the Quran around the domes, the names of God and the Prophet on huge round panels, and prayers above the doors. For the Ottomans, writing was among the most honored arts. Ottoman calligraphy turned letters into architecture, and its masters were as famous as painters were in Europe. Here is how to read this art, and where to see the finest examples in Istanbul.

Why Calligraphy Mattered

In Islamic tradition, the Quran is the word of God. Therefore, writing it beautifully was an act of devotion. Islamic religious art also avoids images of people in mosques, which left the written word as the main decoration. Over the centuries, in turn, calligraphers developed many styles, from the bold, angular kufic to the flowing thuluth on mosque walls and the delicate naskh of manuscripts. Ebru (the art of paper marbling), its sister art, has its own page: the Turkish art of marbling.

The Ottomans took this art to new heights. In the 15th century, Şeyh Hamdullah, the master of Sultan Bayezid II, refined the classic styles so much that later artists called him the father of Ottoman calligraphy. Then, in the 17th century, Hafız Osman perfected naskh and gave the hilye its classic form, a framed description of the Prophet that became one of the most loved forms of the art.

Ottoman Calligraphy in the Great Mosques

The most spectacular works hang in Hagia Sophia. During the great restoration of 1849, the calligrapher Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi created eight giant round panels with the names of God, the Prophet, the first four caliphs and Hasan and Hüseyin. Each one is several meters across, large enough to read from the floor far below.

In the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye, verses run around the domes and the windows. At the Süleymaniye, tradition holds that Sinan designed a small room above the entrance to collect the soot from the oil lamps, which was then used to make ink for the calligraphers.

The Tughra, a Signature of Power

Every Ottoman sultan had his own tughra, an elaborate monogram that combined his name, his father’s name and the words “forever victorious”. The tughra, for example, appeared on decrees, coins and buildings, and the finest ones are works of art in gold and blue. Look for them on the gates of Topkapı Palace and on fountains across the old city. A private Topkapı Palace tour takes you through those gates, from the public courtyard to the sultan’s private one.

Where to See Ottoman Calligraphy

Besides the mosques, however, two museums show the art up close. In Sultanahmet, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, in the palace of İbrahim Pasha on the Hippodrome, holds Qurans and manuscripts from many centuries. On the Bosphorus, the Sakıp Sabancı Museum has a large collection of Ottoman calligraphy. Finally, workshops in Istanbul teach the basics with the reed pen and ink. To see the great pages, join our Islamic arts museum tour.

For the painted side of Ottoman books, read our guide to Ottoman miniatures.

Discover It With a Guide

Ottoman calligraphy is easier to enjoy with someone who can read it. On our Mimar Sinan tour and Islamic heritage of Istanbul tour, your guide reads the inscriptions with you. For a hands-on afternoon, see our craft workshops, and read more about İznik tiles, the other great decoration of Ottoman mosques. We arrange your entries to the state museums and fit them between the mosques on your calligraphy day.