Masters of Arabic Calligraphy

Hamid Aytac

Hasan Celebi’s teacher, Hamid Aytac was known as “Musa Azmi.” He was also the

grandson of a famous calligrapher of Diyarbakir.

In 1908, he went to Istanbul to attend School of Law, and after that, he attended Fine

Arts Academy for his education. As he needed to earn a living, he became a writing

teacher at the Gulsen school in Istanbul. Furthermore, while he was there, he taught

Halim Ozyazici calligraphy. He directed the Rusumat press and worked at the press

of Military Academy. During World War 1, he went to Germany for a year and he

prepared military maps. When the war was over, he resigned his job and started to

work on his own.

This is when he changed his name to Hamid Aytac. He practiced the Jali-Thuluth

(Turk. celi-sülüs) style with Mehmed Nazif Bey (1846–1914), the Naskh and Thuluth

styles with Kamil Akdik (1862–1941) and the Ta'liq style with Mehmed Hulusi (1869–

1940). He worked on a number of manuscripts including quran. His works also

included in various buildings across Istanbul and Ankara, including the Sisli Mosque.

His works:

Mohamed Zakariya

He was born in Ventura, California in 1942. When he was young, he worked towards

becoming an aerospace engineer. He saw a work of Arabic calligraphy at an

Armenian carpet shop and became fascinated with it. When he asked the shop

owner for the price of the calligraphy, the shop owner told him that he could not

afford it. He then told himself that, if he could not afford it, he could make it himself.

He travelled to Morocco which was a turning point in his life as the culture, religion

and language fascinated him. This experience then became the reason for him to

convert to islam.

He went to various countries to learn about the calligraphy such as Egypt, Algeria

and Turkey. In 1984, he got a chance to be a disciple of Hasan Celebi, who is the

current world master for Islamic calligraphy. Four years later, he received his “izaja”

in Thuluth and Naskh. He also studied Taliq from another master calligrapher, Dr. Ali

Alparslan and received his “izaja” in Taliq in 1997.

He is currently popular for his work on the u.s postage stamp that he designed for the

muslim festival, Eid. He has been working on calligraphy for more than 50 years and

teaching it over 20 years.

When Zakariya first started, his calligraphy was very bad, but he persevered and

made a living out of it through newspaper ads and company logos. His calligraphy is

now showcased in various museums across the world.

The work that made Zakariya famous, is the creation of the Eid stamp. He received a

phone call from the postal department and they told him that they would be interested

in talking to him about something. When he asked what was it about, they told him

that before they could tell him , he has to sign a non-disclosure agreement. He then

invited them for a meeting and Zakariya agreed to create the stamp.

In 2009, the government also requested Zakariya to create a piece of Arabic

Calligraphy to be given by Obama to the King of Saudi.

Apart from working on calligraphy, he also translated books and published articles on

calligraphy.

Apart from calligraphy, he also does his own illumination and marbling to beautify his

calligraphy.

His works:

(Process of creating the Eid stamp, from left to right and continued downwards)

Hasan Celebi

Hasan Celebi was born in Inci village of the Oltu province of Erzurum/Turkey in

1937. He was raised in poverty as it was the time the Second World War broke

out and people were struggling to eat and have a job.

In his village, there were no schools and teachers. Yusuf Altas was a wise and

learned person. He will bring newspapers from outside the village everyday and

hang them at the village square for all the villagers to read. He learnt how to read

and write by looking at the papers. When he was young, some of the children in

his village committed Quran to memory and there was a celebration. This

celebration impressed him to become a “hafiz” later in his life.

In 1954, he travelled to Istanbul to learn Quranic sciences and Arabic language.

On May 15, 1956, he became the “Muezzin” at the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque.

In 1957 to 1958, he did his military service and became the “Imam” at Nasuhi

Mosque after his military service.

On August 15, 1963, Hafiz Bekir Effendi helped Hasan Celebi to become the

“Imam” of Mehmet Said Effendi Mosque in Uskudar. He was then transferred to

Selami Ali Mosque in Fistikagaci/Istanbul in which he receieved contracts for

calligraphy but was unable to meet the demands as he was a public worker.

In 1987, he retired to fully concentrate in his calligraphic work.

When Hasan Celebi was young, he was attracted to papers. He then developed an

inclination for inscriptions of the mosque in his village and tried to imitate them.

He then met Yusuf Efendi, the stone master who helped him to meet Hamid

Aytac. As Halim Bey was very busy, he sent Hasan Celebi to his student, Halim

Ozyazici to study calligraphy. When Hasan Celebi finished his first lesson with

Halim, he said, “What an accomplishment at the first lesson! You’re very

promising.” However, after four months, his teacher Halim Ozyazici died of traffic

accident.

(** Translation or print error as it’s a mixup of Hamid Aytac, Hamid Bey, Halim

Ozyazici **)

Hasan Celebi then met Avni Bilmen, son of Omer Nasuhi Bilmen. He told Hasan

Celebi to go and ask Hamid Aytac to be his student again. This time, Hamid Aytac

accepted him to be his student. This teacher student relationship laster for 18

years.

Hamid Aytac was a very quiet and reserved person who did not point out his

student’s mistakes. This made Hasan Celebi to do his first lesson, “Rabbi yessir”

for two years. He thought that he did not have any talent wanted to give up on

calligraphy. Hamid Aytac was astonished when he heard about the news and he

was not aware of his student’s situation. Hamid Aytac then gave Hasan, his

second lesson and after that, he will give Hasan a new lesson whenever he made

less than four mistakes in his previous lesson.

As years went by, his writing improved to the extent that other people such as

Necmeddin Okyay and Kemal Batanay asked Hasan if he had “ijaza” to teach the

lesson. However, out of respect, Hasan did not ask “ijaza” from his teacher to

teach Hamid Aytac also visited Necmeddin Okyay regularly and during one of

the visits, he told Hamid Aytac to give permission for Hasan Celebi to teach.

Hamid Aytac then told Hasan Celebi to produce a work for his authorization to

teach. Kemal Batanay also informed Hamid Aytac to give Hasan his “ijaza” to

teach.

In 1970, Hasan Celebi wrote the “Hilye-i-serif” of Abdullah Efendi of Egrikapi

which he had seen in a mosque. After writing it, he got it corrected by his teacher

and he wrote it again. Thus, after six years working with Hamid Aytac, he

received his “ijaza” to teach. However, unlike traditional “ijaza” being in Arabic,

his teacher wrote it in Turkish.

Hasan Celebi receieved his second “ijaza” for his Nesih script under Hamid Aytac

and his third “ijaza” for his Talik script from Kemal Batanay.

Even before he received his “ijaza,” Hasan Celebi’s works were decorating walls

of mosques in his country as well as outside of his country. He restored

inscriptions of the Atik Ali Pasa Mosque in Fatih/Istanbul. Hasan Celebi had to

restore Mustafa Rakim’s writing in that mosque and it was difficult for him. Then

a miracle happened. He dreamt of Mustafa Rakim who was talking to his teacher

about something and Hasan Celebi was sitting at their side. Mustafa Rakim then

became aware of Hasan Celebi’s presence and told him, “Son, you will do it, you’ll

manage to do it.” This dream made him to work harder and made his teacher

very happy as it was a big honor for both of them. After Hasan Celebi finished his

restoration work, his teacher was very happy by his work and even asked him

for a copy of the mould for himself.

In 1974, he restored inscritptions and 99 names of God at the Blue Mosque.

In 1982, Hasan Celebi was invited by the government of Saudi Arabia to restore

inscriptions of the “Ravza-I Mutahhara.” However due to permission limitations

for working aboard, his arrival in Saudi Arabia was delayed for very long.

In 1987, he went to Saudi Arabia again and wrote the writings of the dome belet

and other small mosques Kuba and Kibleteyn which the Saudi government had

rebuilt. He finished this work in a year.

Hasan Celebi considered his greatest happiness to the work that he did in

Madinatul Munawwarah because of its sacredness and also aware of the fact that

only few calligraphers got the chance to write in those mosques.

He also did tombstone inscriptions for the royal family of Jordon, for his teacher,

Hamid Aytac, He also did it for the mother of the late Turkish President Turgut

Ozal and Vehbi Koc, who is a leading Turkish industrialist.

In 1980, his works were on exhibition at IRCICA in Istanbul. In 1984, his work

was exhibited in Malaysia and in Jordon the following year.

Hasan Celebi’s biggest wish is to complete the Koran which he had started and he

has also done original collections such as the one written for Abdurresit Huseyin

of Malaya. He had written roughly 180 “hilyes.”

Hasan Celebi’s first students were, Davud Bektas, Muhlis Uslu and Berat Gulen.

As his surname, “Celebi” meant well mannered, he did not refuse any student

who was interested in learning calligraphy. In 1981, Muhlis Uslu was the first

student who got the “ijaza” from Hasan Celebi. In 1984, Berat Gulen got his

“ijaza” and Daut Bektas in 1994. He was also teaching other students who got

their “ijaza” from 1996-2000.

He also had overseas students who he taught calligraphy by mail. Sometimes

these students come to Turkey to meet their teacher. His students, Mohamed

Zakaria is from America. Muhammad Emzil and Haamidi were from Morocco.

Muhammad Bahiri and Abdul Hamid were from Algeria. Mahfuz from Libya,

Ubeyde Salihul Benki from Syria, Abdul aziz from Saudi Arabia, Kazim Hacimeylic

from Bosnia and Fuad Kusi Honda from Japan.

His works: