← Explore on the interactive map
Safavid Persian Calligraphy Tradition
With Twelver Shi'ism established as the state religion, calligraphy as a sacred art and core court decoration flourished unprecedentedly;…
Timeline
- 1581–1587Qazvin · IranIn the 1580s, the Safavid court continued Timurid–Qara Qoyunlu tradition calligraphy workshops in Qazvin, transcribing the Qur'an and royal documents in Nasta'liq script; calligraphy masters were salaried by the court, and their works combined religious devotion with decorative beauty.
- 1588–1590Qazvin · IranAfter Abbas I acceded in 1588, he increased patronage of manuscript Qur'ans and court calligraphy, summoning scribes from various regions to serve religious propaganda and imperial image-building, paving the way for Isfahan's later golden age of calligraphy.
- 1585–1590Persian Plateau · IranIn the 1580s, Persian calligraphy built on the Nasta'liq brushwork established by predecessors such as Mir Emad, with flowing lines and well-balanced spacing; Shekasteh script was also used for decorative colophons, forming the aesthetic standard of Safavid calligraphy.
Sources
- The Art and Architecture of Islam 1250-1800 — Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom (1994)
- Persian Calligraphy: A Picture and a Poem — Annemarie Schimmel (1992)