Manuscript, Khurasan, 972, New Style III
Iran, Razavi Khorasan province, Nishapur
Rice, D. S. The Unique Ibn Al-Bawwab Manuscript à La Chester Beatty Library. Translated by Jacqueline Bernard. Club du Livre, 1980, p. 105–109 .
Rice, D. S. The Unique Ibn Al-Bawwab Manuscript à La Chester Beatty Library. Translated by Jacqueline Bernard. Club du Livre, 1980. 105-109.
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā’, lām and qāf bowl
initial medial and final elongated (mabsūṭah)
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - elongated curvilinear flattened bowl
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - curvilinear flattened bowl
final one-eyed (mardufah) with elongated vertical shaft / sometimes with serif
initial / medial double eyed (wajh al-hirr)
initial / medial double-eyed top and bottom (mulawwazah)
isolated one-eyed round loop, right stem extended upwards
Every bowl is an extended bowl, very legible script
Manuscript, Khurasan, 1188, Round Style - Muḥaqqaq
Blair, Sheila. Islamic Calligraphy. Edinburgh University Press. Edinburgh, 2020, p. 152.
Blair, Sheila S. Islamic Calligraphy. Edinburgh University Press, 2006. 152
Groups of characters baseline - horizontal
before / after medial bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, nūn, yāʾ
ṭā' / ẓā' - two elongated parallel strokes
rā'/zā' - short curvilinear hairline tail
diagonal stroke ending in sharp horizontal wedge
elongated backward stroke contouring previous letter shapes
short straight bowl on baseline with final triangle
oblique denticles inclined to left with final triangle
medial oblique stroke crossing the baseline
medial two-eyed trapezoid diagonal to the baseline
Manuscript, Khurasan, 11th-12th century, New Style III ; New Style I
Khurasan, Herat province, Herat (probably)
National Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran Bastan 3496
Muḥammad b. ʿIssa b. Muhammad ʿAlī al-Nīshāpūrī Līthī
Flood, Finbarr Barry. “Islamic Identities and Islamic Art: Inscribing the Qurʾan in Twelfth-Century Afghanistan.” In Dialogues in Art History, from Mesopotamian to Modern: Readings for a New Century, edited by Elizabeth Cropper. Studies in the History of Art 74. National Gallery of Art, Washington Distributed by Yale University Press, 2009., p. 96–99.
Flood, Finbarr Barry. “Islamic Identities and Islamic Art: Inscribing the Qurʾan in Twelfth-Century Afghanistan.” In Dialogues in Art History, from Mesopotamian to Modern: Readings for a New Century, edited by Elizabeth Cropper. Studies in the History of Art 74. National Gallery of Art, Washington Distributed by Yale University Press, 2009. 96–99.
Initial /medial compact form diagonal body
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - curvilinear flattened bowl
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - short curvilinear flattened bowl
curvilinear head horizontally accentuated
Manuscript, Khurasan, 1177, New Style III ; New Style I ; Round Style - Muḥaqqaq
Karame, Alya. “Ghaznavid Imperial Qurʾan Manuscripts: The Shaping of a Local Style.” In The Word Illuminated: Form and Function of Qurʾanic Manuscripts from the Seventh to Seventeenth Centuries, edited by Simon Rettig and Sana Mirza. Smithsonian Scholarly Press, 2023.
two elongated parallel strokes topped by a short diagonal stroke
tall vertical shaft curved with small eye at baseline
Manuscript, Khurasan, 11th-12th century, New Style III
Abu Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdallah al-Ghaznawi
Derman, Uğur. L’art de La Calligraphie Dans Le Patrimoine Islamique (Fann al-Khaṭṭ). IRCICA. Istanbul, 1998, plate 17
Lings, Martin. Splendours of Qur’an Calligraphy & Illumination. Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation. 2005
Tabbaa, Yasser. “The Transformation of Arabic Writing: Part I, Qur’ānic Calligraphy.” Ars Orientalis 21 (1991), p. 125.
Derman, Uğur. L’art de La Calligraphie Dans Le Patrimoine Islamique (Fann al-Khaṭṭ). IRCICA. Istanbul, 1998. plate 17;
Lings, Martin. Splendours of Qur’an Calligraphy & Illumination. Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation. 2005. 59;
Tabbaa, Yasser. “The Transformation of Arabic Writing: Part I, Qur’ānic Calligraphy.” Ars Orientalis 21 (1991): 125.
Manuscript, Khurasan, 11th-12th century, Round Style - Naskh
Muḥammad ibn aḥmad al-jabalī al-...r...ī
diagonal stroke ending in thick ascending stroke
two elongated parallel strokes with triangular fillings
top arm elongated shaft tapers from thin to thick
long curvilinear hairline ending in thick stroke
Afghanistan, Herat province, Chisht-i Sharif district, Chisht-i Sharif
Chisht-i Sharif, Afghanistan, southwestern dome, interior walls
بسم الـله الرحمن الرحيم أمر بتجديد هذه العمارة في أيام الدولة الملك المعظم المؤيد المظفر المنصور العالم العادل شمس الدنيا والدين ركن الإسلام والمسلمين أعد\ل الملوك تاج السلاطين مغيث الإمام كهف الأنام محيى الخلافة عضد الدولة نظام] العالم فلك المعالا ملك الشرق أبو الفتح محمد بن سام نصير أمير المؤ\منين أطال الـله له(1) العز دائم بقاءه *هو] الـله الذى لا إله إلا هو الملك القدوس السلام المؤمن المهيمن العزيز الجبار المتكبر الخالق البارئ المصور* \ الغفار القهار الوهاب الرزاق الفتاح العليم (؟) القا[بض (؟) الباسط الخافض الرافع] المعز المذل السميع البصير احكم(1) العدل (1) : (sic)
The first part of the inscription (on the east and north walls) refers to the renovation of the building and contains the name and titles of the Ghurid ruler [Ghiyāth al-Dīn] Abū’l Fatḥ Muḥammad b. Sām. The second part (on the west and south walls) contains two Quranic verses (59:23-24), followed by an enumeration of divine names.
One horizontal line running on the four interior walls, at the springing of the arcades. The text starts in the south-eastern corner.
The inscription has almost completely disappeared and can only be studied on the basis of photographic archives.
Saljūqī, Fikrī. Risāla-yi mazārāt-i Harāt. Taʿliqāt. Kabul, 1967, p. 157.
Blair, Sheila S. “The Madrasa at Zuzan: Islamic Architecture in Eastern Iran on the Eve of the Mongol Invasions.” Muqarnas 3 (1985): 75–91. here p. 81.
Patel, Alka. Iran to India: The Shansabanis of Afghanistan, c. 1145–119. Edinburgh University Press, 2021, p. 344 (reading by V. Allegranzi).
Online publication: TEI, no. 37804 (reading by L. Kalus).
initial, medial and final compact form (mashkūlah)
stylized top arm crossing over the main shaft
backward stroke ending in vertical shaft
isolated one-eyed round loop, right stem extended upwards with hook
Varied ornamental V-shaped elements balance the negative space
Three circular holes arranged in an inverted triangle adorn the heads of the ascenders
A vegetal scroll is carved on the background
Masonry, Badghis province, 1166 or 1176, Other
Afghanistan, Badghis province, Jawand district, Shah-i Mashhad Madrasa
Shah-i Mashhad madrasa, Badghis province, Afghanistan, northwestern corner of the north ivan
واتخـ]ـذوا المساجد بیوتا عودوا قلوبکم الرقة وأكثر والتفكر والبكاء ولا تختلفن بكم الأهواء]
The text contains part of a Hadith; only the final section of the inscription is preserved.
One line running from top to bottom along the arch on the upper back wall of the north ivan. Some letters as well as the last five words of the inscriptions are inscribed on the upper part of the band.
Only a portion of the left-hand side of the arch is preserved. The writing surface is concave. The date is recorded in the inscription (in border Kufic) on the portal of the monument; this text is damaged and the reading of the tens is uncertain.
Casimir, Michael J., and Bernt Glatzer. “Šāh-i Mašhad, a Recently Discovered Madrasah of the Ghurid Period in Ġarǧistān (Afghanistan).” East and West 21, no. 1/2 (1971): 53–68. Here p. 57, no. 14, fig. 6, 33, 34.
Glatzer, Bernt. “The Madrasah of Shah-i-Mashhad in Badgis’.” Afghanistan, no. 25 (1973): 46–68. Here p. 60, no. 14, fig. 15, 16
Glatzer, Bernt. “Das Mausoleum und die Moschee desGhoriden Ghiyāth Ud-Dīn in Herat.” Afghanistan Journal VII, no. 1 (1980): 6–22. Here p. 18, fig. 19
Hillenbrand, Robert. “The Ghurid Tomb at Herat.” In Cairo to Kabul: Afghan and Islamic Studies Presented to Ralph Pinder-Wilson, edited by W. Ball and L. Harrow. Melisende, 2002, p. 123-143. Here p. 141, pl. 12.22.
Najimi, Abdul Wassay. “The Ghurid Madrasa and Mausoleum of Shāh-i Mashhad Ghur, Afghanistan.” Iran 53 (2015): 161–63. Here p. 161-163, fig. 18 (reading by A. Ghouchani).
Three circular holes arranged in an inverted triangle adorn the shafts; the lower hole has sometimes an inverted-drop shape
An intricate scroll with vegetal patterns in openwork is carved on the background
The start and end of the inscription are lost; some words at the beginning of the preserved section are damaged and undeciphered.
One line running vertically (from top to bottom) then horizontally on the northern and western walls of the north ivan, at the springing of the arches.
Only a short section of the inscription is preserved in the northwestern corner of the north ivan. The first part of this section, inscribed vertically on the northern wall, is highly damaged. The date is recorded in the inscription (in border Kufic) on the portal of the monument; this text is damaged and the reading of the tens is uncertain.
Glatzer, Bernt. “The Madrasah of Shah-i-Mashhad in Badgis’.” Afghanistan, no. 25 (1973): 46–68. Here p. 60, no. 15, fig. 15
Najimi, Abdul Wassay. “The Ghurid Madrasa and Mausoleum of Shāh-i Mashhad Ghur, Afghanistan.” Iran 53 (2015): 161–63. Here p. 161-163, fig. 18, 19.
Three circular holes arranged in an inverted triangle adorn the shafts
Afghanistan, Herat province, Herat, Mausoleum of Ghiyath al-Din, annexed to the Great Mosque of Herat
معین خلیفة الـله غیاث الدنیا والدین [... علاء] الدولة القاھرة تاج [الملة البا]ھرة جلال [الأمة الزھرة ...] (؟)
The inscription was fragmented and partially plastered over already at the time of the earliest photographic documentation. I was able to reconstruct some titles of the Ghurid sultan Ghiyāth al-Dīn on the basis of photos taken by von Niedermayer (1915-16), Byron (1935) and Stuckert (1942). V. Allegranzi (2026).
One horizontal line running on the four interior walls, below the transition zone.
In existing photographs, only short sections of the inscription are visible, notably on both sides of the north-west corner. The alleged date is that of Ghiyath al-Din's death, but the mausoleum may have been built a little earlier or later (the foundation inscription of the mosque is dated from 597 H./1201).
Niedermayer, Oskar von, and Ernst Diez. Afghanistan. Hiersemann, 1924. fig. 154.
Glatzer, Bernt. “Das Mausoleum und die Moschee des Ghoriden Ghiyāth Ud-Dīn in Herat.” Afghanistan Journal VII, no. 1 (1980): 6–22. Here p. 18, fig. 11
Hillenbrand, Robert. “The Ghurid Tomb at Herat.” In Cairo to Kabul: Afghan and Islamic Studies Presented to Ralph Pinder-Wilson, edited by W. Ball and L. Harrow. Melisende, 2002, p. 123-143. Here p. 141, pl. 12.20, 12.21.
Wide lām-'alif with open-eye at its base
Three circular holes arranged in an inverted triangle adorn the heads of the shafts; the lower hole has sometimes an inverted-drop shape
Afghanistan, Sistan, Great Mosque of Peshawaran
المظفر العالم العادل الغازی یمین الدنیا [والدین؟] ... ⁄ ... المعظم السعید (؟) …
The inscription was highly fragmented already at the time of the earliest photographic documentation. The titulature may refer to Yamīn al-Dīn Bahrām Shāh (ca. 610-618/1213-1221), ruler of the Nasrid line of the Maliks of Sistan.
One line framing the entrance ivan of the building.
In existing photographs, only short sections of the inscription are preserved, on the lower right and upper left sides of the entrance respectively. In some previous publications, the mosque has been wrongly identified with the site of Kul Marut.
Hackin, J., J. Meunie, and J. Carl. Diverses Recherches Archéologiques En Afghanistan. Paris, 1959., figs. 114-115.
Four circular holes arranged in an inverted triangle adorn the shafts
An ornamental V-shaped element balance the negative space
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1030, Epigraphic Round Script
توفي رحمة الله عليه و نور حفرته و بيض وجهه عشية يوم الخميس لسبع بقين من شهر ربيع الاخر سنة احدى و عشرين واربع ماية غفر له
Six horizontal lines on the Eastern face of the top element.
The epitaph is inscribed inside a trilobed catouche. Name and titles of the deceased (the Ghaznavid ruler Maḥmūd b. Sebüktegin, d. 421 H./1030) are inscribed in Kufic style on the Western face of the same support.
Flury, Samuel. “Le décor épigraphique des monuments de Ghazna.” Syria 6, no. 1 (1925): 61–90.
Jalali, Ghulam Gilani. Ġazna va Ġaznaviyān. Kabul, 1951. 215-16
Riḍā, Muḥammad. Riyāḍ al-alwāḥ. Muštamil bar katibahā-yi qubūr va abniya-yi Ġazna. Kabul, 1967. 119-20.
Abd al-Hayy, Habibi. A Short History of Calligraphy and Epigraphy in Afghanistan. Kabul, 1971. fig. p. 180-81
Giunta, Roberta. “The Tomb of Muḥammad Al-Harawī (447/1055) at Ġaznī (Afghanistan) and Some New Observations on the Tomb of Maḥmūd the Ġaznavid.” East and West 51, no. 1/2 (2001): 109–26.
Giunta, Roberta. Les inscriptions funéraires de Ġaznī (IVe-IXe/Xe-XVe Siècles). Series Maior 8. Università degli studi di Napoli L’Orientale, 2003. 27-44, no. 2, pl. IV-VIII .
backward horizontal stroke below baseline
rounded base denticles with first denticle extended
compact inverted triangle / open or closed eye
diacritical points are not systematically used
ornamental U-shaped alif-lam used to balance the negative space
symmetrical lam-alif with two diagonal arms
Arch, Ghazni, 1044-1045, Epigraphic Round Script
جدد هذه العمارة على يد [...] الامير السيد الملك المؤيد شهاب الدولة وقطب الملة وفخر الامة ابو الفتح مودود بن مسعود اطال الـله بقاه في شهور سنة ست و ثلاثين واربع ماية
One line running from bottom to top on the right side, horizontally on the upper side, from top to bottom on the left side.
The arch was found reused as mihrab in a modern mosque, the lower part was placed upside down, so the beginning and end of the epigraphic band are out of place. The text is however complete.
Pinder-Wilson, Ralph. “Ghaznavid and Ghūrid Minarets.” Iran 39 (2001): 155-186. Here p. 180, note 22
Giunta, Roberta. “Testimonianze epigrafiche dei regnanti ghaznavidi a Ġaznī.” Scritti in onore di Giovanni M. d’Erme (2005): 525–55; Here pp. 532–34.
isolated one-eyed triangular (murabba'ah)
ornamental U shaped alif-lam used to balance the negative space
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1055, Epigraphic Round Script
اللهم اغفرابي سهل محمد الباغبان الهروي في شهر ربيع الاخر سنة سبع واربعين واربع ماية ; كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِالشَّرِّ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
The inscription contains a Quranic quotation (Quran 21:35).
Six horizontal lines on the Eastern and on the Northen face of the top element inscribed inside an arched cartouche.
The tomb is composed of a monolithic two-stepped base and a monolithic humpbacked top. The epitaph is inscribed on the top element.
Online publications: https://ghazni.bdus.cloud/islamic/finds/record/IG4003
final one-eyed (mardufah) with elongated vertical shaft
ornamental U shaped alif-lam used to balance negative space
medial tā’ denticle with ascending vegetal element (word: fitna)
Panel, Ghazni, 1058, Epigraphic Round Script
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم امر ببناء هذا المسجد والمحراب ابي جعفر محمد بن احمد بن علي بن احمد في شهر رمضان سنة خمسين واربع ماية
The arch was found reused as mihrab in a modern mosque. The formula al-mulk li-llāh and the names of two individuals are inscribed in Kufic letters inside the niche.
Giunta Roberta, Les inscriptions de la ville de Gazni (Afghanistan), PhD thesis, Université Aix-Marseille I, 1999, 3 vols (unpublished). Here vol. I, pp. 345-348, no. 1a, pls. 327, 328
Giunta, Roberta. “Un texte de construction d’époque Ġūride à Ġaznī.” Studi in onore di Umberto Scerrato per il suo settantacinquesimo compleanno, Series Minor, vol. 2, no. 65 (2003): 439–55. Here p. 448
initial/medial double eyed (wajh al-hirr) with right hook
dots with superposed V shape ornaments used to balance the negative space
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1068, Epigraphic Round Script
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم غفران من الله للشيخ الجليل السيد العالم ابي الفتح طقي الحنفي انار الله برهانه و بيض وجهه و نور حفرته / كان وفات السيد غدو الجمعة من محرم سنة احدى و ستين و اربع ماية
One horizontal line which runs on each of the four faces of the top element and ends on the rectangular lower block covering the grave's earth mound.
The inscription on the inferior bloc ends on a second horizontal upper line due to a lack of space in the epigraphic band.
Giunta, Roberta. Les inscriptions funéraires de Ġaznī (IVe-IXe/Xe-XVe Siècles). Series Maior 8. Università degli studi di Napoli L’Orientale, 2003. 50-54, no. 4, pl. X-XI
Online publications: https://ghazni.bdus.cloud/islamic/finds/record/IG4004
initial bā’ denticle elongated upward (basmala)
ornamental U-shape alif-lam and V shape used to balance the negative space
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1072, Epigraphic Round Script
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اللهم اغفر وارحم الشيخ الاجل السيد ابي بكر محمد بن احمد بن علي رحمه الـله ونور قبره توفي ليلة الجمعة الخامس والعشرين من شهر رمضان سنة اربع وستين واربعماية / بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم *كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ *
The inscription contains a Quranic quotation (Quran 3:185, incomplete).
One horizontal line on each of the four faces of the moulded top and on the four sides of the stepped lower element (upper face) ; two additional short lines on a square cartouche on the upper face of the lower element.
The tomb is composed of a stepped element and a moulded top. The inscription runs on both elements, the top element shows quotation from Quran while the lower one is inscribed with the name of the deceased and date of death.
Jalali, Ghulam Gilani. Ġazna va Ġaznaviyān. Kabul, 1951. 262-63.
Riḍā, Muḥammad. Riyāḍ al-alwāḥ. Muštamil bar katibahā-yi qubūr va abniya-yi Ġazna. Kabul, 1967. 196.
Giunta, Roberta. Les inscriptions funéraires de Ġaznī (IVe-IXe/Xe-XVe Siècles). Series Maior 8. Università degli studi di Napoli L’Orientale, 2003. 55-60, no. 5, pl. XII-XIV .
Online publications: https://ghazni.bdus.cloud/islamic/finds/record/IG4005
diagonal top arm mid-height of main shaft
superscript miniature kāf for medial or inital form
tall vertical dal/dhal upper stroke (Muhammad)
initial ba denticle elongated upwards (basmala)
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1078, Epigraphic Round Script
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم *كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ* وفات الشيخ العميد الجليل السيد أبو الفضل محمد بن ﻋ[لي ؟] الطوسي نور الله حفرته بتاريخ يوم التاسع ﻋ[شرة ...] رمضان سنة سبهين و اربع ماية
The inscription contains a Quranic quotation (3:118; 21:35; 29;57).
Two horizontal lines of writing on each of the two longitudinal faces of the top element of the tomb.
The tomb is part of The al-Sabah Collection, Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyya, inv. no. LSN 28 S
Giunta, Roberta. Les inscriptions funéraires de Ġaznī (IVe-IXe/Xe-XVe Siècles). Series Maior 8. Università degli studi di Napoli L’Orientale, 2003. 61-65, no. 6, pl. XV.
al-Zayla'i, Ahmed b. Umar . “Tombstones.” In Dar Al-Athar al-Islamiyya, vols. 13–14. Kuwait, 1989. 13-14. 21-29
final one-eyed (mardufah) soft triangle on baseline
two vegetal ornaments (leaf) used to balance the negative space
V shape ornaments used to balance the negative space
Panel, Ghazni, 1059-1099, Epigraphic Round Script
Kabul, National Museum of Afghanistan (lower fragments of the panel only)
بِٱلْقِسْطِ لَۚآ إِلَٰه ... ٱلْإِسْلَٰامُ ومَا ٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَابَ
The Quranic verses (3:18-19) are partly preserved.
One line running from bottom to top on the right side, horizontally on the upper side, from top to bottom on the left side. Only two sections on the upper and left side are preserved.
The three fragments composing the panel were found reused in various locations in the Ghazni area. The shahada and part of the titulature of the Ghaznavid Sultan Ibrāhīm (r. 451-492H./1059-1099) are inscribed in Kufic letters on the upper fragment; the word "Allāh" is repeated on the lower fragment, inside the niche.
Giunta Roberta, Les inscriptions de la ville de Gazni (Afghanistan), PhD thesis, Université Aix-Marseille I, 1999, 3 vols (unpublished). Here vol. I, p. 368, 369, no. 6a, pls. 341, 342.
Online publications: https://ghazni.bdus.cloud/islamic/finds/marble/panels-niche-design/record/IG0039
the final ba’ at the end of the inscription lays on a vertical baseline
one small vegetal ornament (leaf) used to balance the negative space
The inscription contains part of the titulature of the Ghaznavid Sultan Ibrāhīm (r. 451-492H./1059-1099).
The preserved item constitutes a fragment of a larger panel. Other inscriptions are visible on the horizontal band on the central surface (see Afghanistan_VA_MM_10) and on a rectangular cartouche below it. The latter is in square Kufic and contains the names of the first caliphs and imams.
Pinder-Wilson, Ralph. “Ghaznavid and Ghūrid Minarets.” Iran 39 (2001): 155-186. Here p. 160-161, fig. 12, 13.
Giunta, Roberta. “Testimonianze epigrafiche dei regnanti ghaznavidi a Ġaznī.” Scritti in onore di Giovanni M. d’Erme I (2005): 525–55. Here p. 538-540, fig. 9.
Online publications: https://ghazni.bdus.cloud/islamic/finds/record/RM0015
backward stroke returning in a second parallel stroke
V shape ornaments (with or without dot at their bases) used to balance the negative space
one lam- alif used to balance the negative space
The inscription contains the beginning of a funerary text.
The preserved item constitutes a fragment of a larger panel. Other inscriptions are visible on the left-side band (see Afghanistan_VA_MM_09) and on a rectangular cartouche located at the bottom centre. The latter is in square Kufic and contains the names of the first caliphs and imams.
Giunta, Roberta. “Testimonianze epigrafiche dei regnanti ghaznavidi a Ġaznī.” Scritti in onore di Giovanni M. d’Erme (2005): 525–55. Here p. 538-540, fig. 9.
Arch, Ghazni, 1059-1099, Epigraphic Round Script
Ghazni, warehouse (upper fragments); Kabul, National Museum of Afghanistan (left side fragment)
...مويد الدين مغيث المسلمين ابي المظفر ابراهيم بن \ ناصر دين الـله ابي سعيد مسعود بن يمين الدولة \ ... ابي القسم محمود بن ناصر
The inscriptions contains part of the titulature and the family lineage of the Ghaznavid Sultan Ibrāhīm (r. 451-492 H./1059-1099).
One line running from bottom to top on the right side, horizontally on the upper side, from top to bottom on the left side. Only two sections on the upper portion and left side of the arch are preserved.
The two upper fragments composing the arch were found reused in various locations in the Ghazni area. The lower left fragment was later identified among the archaeological materials stored at the Kabul National Museum.
Flury, Samuel. “Le décor épigraphique des monuments de Ghazna.” Syria 6, no. 1 (1925): 61–90. Here p. 74-75
Blair, Sheila S. The Monumental Inscriptions from Early Islamic Iran and Transoxiana. V. Studies in Islamic Art and Architecture. Supplements to Muqarnas. E. J. Brill, 1992. 182, n° 69-C
Giunta Roberta, Les inscriptions de la ville de Gazni (Afghanistan), PhD thesis, Université Aix-Marseille I, 1999, 3 vols (unpublished). Here vol. I, p. 351-355, no. 3b
Pinder-Wilson, Ralph. “Ghaznavid and Ghūrid Minarets.” Iran 39 (2001): 155-186. Here p. 162.
Allegranzi, Viola. Aux sources de la poésie ghaznavide : Les Inscriptions Persanes de Ghazni, Afghanistan, XIe-XIIe Siècles. Volume Ier. Presses Sorbonne nouvelle, 2019. Here vol. 1, p. 138-139
Giunta, Roberta, and Allegranzi, Viola. “Ghaznavid, Qarakhanid and Seljuq Monumental Inscriptions and the Development of Royal Propaganda: Towards an Epigraphic Corpus.” In The Seljuqs and Their Successors: Art, Culture and History, edited by Sheila R. Canby, Deniz Beyazit, and Martina Rugiadi. Edinburgh Studies in Islamic Art. Edinburgh University Press, 2020. 113-128. Here p. 120-121, fig. 8.2.
Online publications: https://ghazni.bdus.cloud/islamic/finds/marble/arches/record/IG0033
one or several subscript dots dāl / rāʾ/ sīn
Characters elongated in the corners of the epigraphic frame; vegetal ornament are attached to them;
Diacritical points are not systematically used;
Additional sukūn used to balance the negative space.
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1444 Thuluth regional variant
توفي غفر ﺍﻟﻟﻪ له ولوالده في التاريخ سنة ثمان وﺃربعين وثمان ماية كل نفس ذائقة الموت
the inscription contains a Quranic quotation (upper register; Quran 28:57) and the date of death (lower register).
Two rectangular bands (upper and lower register), each containing an horizontal line of writing.
In the lower band, the last words of the text are engraved on a second upper line, due to the lack of space.
Giunta, Roberta. Les inscriptions funéraires de Ġaznī (IVe-IXe/Xe-XVe Siècles). Series Maior 8. Università degli studi di Napoli L’Orientale, 2003. 287-289, no. 70, pl. XCIV
Massullo, Martina. “Marble Tombs from Ghazni (Fifteenth - Eighteenth Centuries): Morphological and Epigraphic Remarks.” Eurasian Studies 13, nos. 1–2 (2015): 54–67. pl. XIV.2.
Massullo Martina, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 41, pp. 361-364, pl. XCIV-XCV.
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - crescent tail
final lām straight horizontal bowl below baseline
subscript miniature letter for hā’/ ʿayn/ sīn / sād / ṭa
Vegetal elements used to balance the negative space between characters
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1541, Thuluth regional variant
غفرانا من ﺍﻟﻟﻪ للشاب السعيد بابار كلان بن حسن الغزنوي غفرﺍﻟﻟﻪله وكا(ن) وفاته في يوم السبت الثاني من شهر شعبان لسنة ثمان وأربعين وتسعماية
the inscription contains the name of the deceased and the date of death.
An horizontal line of writing inside a rectangular band on each of the two longitudinal faces. Some words are broken on two levels.
Massullo Martina, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 12, pp. 276-277, pl. LVIII.
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - plunging bowl
Element in the form of a knot use to balance the negative space between characters
Rare vegetal elements used to balance the negative space between characters
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1566, Thuluth regional variant
ھذا قبر الشيخ المحترم المكرم الصالح العابد العارف عبد الكريم بن عبد الرحيم الغزنوي في تاريخ يوم الجمعة غرة شهر ذي الحخة لسنة ثلاث وسبعين وتسعماية في هجرة النبي
A horizontal line of inscription runs within a rectangular band along each of the two longitudinal faces, with some words split across two levels. On the central arched panel of the east face, the text is arranged in five horizontal lines. The inscription begins on the rectangular band of the east face, continues along the rectangular band of the west face, and concludes on the east face within the frontal arched panel.
A second inscription in Persian language runs in the frame of the main epigraphic band of the west face, this text is not taken into account in our analysis.
Massullo Martina, "Marble Tombs from Ghazni (Fifteenth - Eighteenth Centuries): Morphological and Epigraphic Remarks", Eurasian Studies, 13/1-2: 54-67, 2015, pl. XIV.2; M. Massullo, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 15, pp. 282-284, pl. LXIII
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - crescent bowl
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1567, Thuluth regional variant
غفر انا من الله الأجل زبدة الصلحاء العارف السالك العابد الزاهد الكامل
the reading of the inscription is incomplete due to the lack of photographic documentation of the west face. Date of death is given by Rida 1967 (see Bibliography 2.3.12).
An horizontal line of writing inside a rectangular band on each of the two longitudinal faces. Words are sistematically broken on two superposed levels.
In each epigraphic band, the text is to be red from right to left and from the bottom to the upper line. An uninscribed arched panel divides the epigraphic band of the east face in two parts. Photos of the west face are missing.
Massullo Martina, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 2, pp. 247-249, pl. XLIX
Riḍā, Muḥammad. Riyāḍ al-alwāḥ. Muštamil bar katibahā-yi qubūr va abniya-yi Ġazna. Kabul, 1967. 144-145 (reading of the epitaph).
wide inverted triangle with thin right stroke
Vegetal element used to balance the negative space between characters
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1570, Thuluth regional variant
كان وفات الشيخ السالك العارف الفاضل العابد الصالح الكامل ﺃفضل اﻷماكن واﻷعيان ﺃشرف اﻷماثل واﻷقران المختص بجوار رحمة الملك اﻷحد شيخ محمد ﺃبو طالب بن العالم الفاضل الشيخ عبد العلي روضئي في تاريخ يوم الخميس اثني من شهر رجب المرجب سنة ثمانية وسبعين وتسعماية
the inscription contains the name of the deceased and date of death.
A rectangular epigraphic band on each of the two longitudinal faces. Words are sistematically broken on several superposed levels so as to fill the entire epigraphic surface. In each epigraphic band, the text is to be red from right to left, from the bottom to the upper line.
An uninscribed arched panel divides the epigraphic band of the east face in two parts.
Massullo Martina, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 3, pp. 249-251, pl. XLIX
Riḍā, Muḥammad. Riyāḍ al-alwāḥ. Muštamil bar katibahā-yi qubūr va abniya-yi Ġazna. Kabul, 1967. 143 (reading of the epitaph).
Vegetal and geometric (star shaped) elements used to balance the negative space between characters
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1577, Thuluth regional variant
كان وفات الشاب الصالحا المسطورة ﺃغة شكر بنت الصالح خواجة حكيم الغزنوي في تاريخ يوم الثلاثة عشرين شهر ربيع اﻷولى السنة خمسة وثمانين وتسعماية
A rectangular epigraphic band on each of the two longitudinal faces. Words are sistematically broken across several superposed levels so as to fill the entire epigraphic surface. In each epigraphic band, the text should be read from right to left and from the bottom to the upper line.
Massullo Martina, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 96, pp. 479-480, pl. CXX.
Massullo, Martina. “Marble Tombs from Ghazni (Fifteenth - Eighteenth Centuries): Morphological and Epigraphic Remarks.” Eurasian Studies 13, nos. 1–2 (2015): 54–67. pl. XIV.1.
Tombstone, Ghazni, 1579-1580, Thuluth regional variant
ابن المغفور المرحوم المبرور خواجة ممة (؟) الغزنوي في تاريخ يوم الجمعة ﺇحدى من شهر محرم لسنة سبعة وثمانين وتسعماية ٩٨٧ بشيء من علمه ﺇلا بما شاء وسع كرسيه السموات واﻷرض ولا يؤده حفظهما وهو العلي العظيم
the inscription on the upper element contains the nasab of the deceased and the date of death. The inscription on the lower element contains a Quranic quotation(2:255).
A rectangular epigraphic band on the east face of the base and the topmost element. Inside each band, words are sistematically broken on several superposed levels so as to fill the entire epigraphic surface. In each epigraphic band, the text should be read from right to left and from the bottom to the upper line.
The tomb is composed of a monolithic prismatic base and a upper molded element. Photos of the west face are missing.
Massullo Martina, Les tombeaux et les épitaphes de Ghazni (Afghanistan) entre le XVe et le XVIIIe siècle, PhD thesis, Aix-Marseille Université and Università degli studi di Napoli "L'Orientale", 3 vols (unpublished), 2017, Cat. no. 57, pp. 399-400, pl. CIII.
tall denticles perpendicular to baseline
superscript hamzah (nabrah) for medial/final kāf
Large lām-alif large opening symmetrically
Codex, Harar, late 17th or early 18th century, Naskhī
The manuscript is attributed to Harar based on style. It was likely produced in the late 17th century-early 18th century CE.
30th juz of the Qur'an. The entry is for the Qur'anic text t the endowment tice.
Gori, Alessandro, Anne Regourd, Michele Petrone, and Sara Fani. “IslHornAfr Database.” IslHornAfr Database. https://islhornafr.tors.ku.dk/backend/people/3162.
Mirza, Sana. “A Red Sea Style ? The Early Eighteenth Century Qur’an Manuscripts of Harar.” Annales d’Ethiopie 34 (2022): 73–98.
Regourd, Anne, and Sana Mirza. Catalogue Des Manuscrits Du Sherif Harar Municipal Museum. Geuthner. 340 vols. Paris, 2024.
Regourd, Anne, “The Harari waqfiyyas of Qur’ans, their waqifs, and copyists.” In The Fake, the Replica, & the Copy. Islam 7th–20th C. Brill, 2026.
final vertical shaft with top arm (sarkaj)
final one-eyed (mardufah) inclined to left
isolated one-eyed round loop, left stem extended upwards
when fatha is followed by sukun it is written together in one single looped stroke
Place of production is based on stylistic analysis and oral histories.
This entry is for only the Qur'anic text and not the paratextual materials in the manuscript.
Mirza, Sana. “The Visual Resonances of a Harari Qur’ān: An 18th Century Ethiopian Manuscript and Its Indian Ocean Connections.” Afriques, no. 8 (2017). https://journals.openedition.org/afriques/2052
Mirza, Sana. “An Ethiopian Indian Ocean Tradition: The Qur’an Manuscripts of Harar.” Muslim Cultures in the Indian Ocean: Diversity and Pluralism, Past & Present (Edinburgh), 2023.
The place of production is an attribution based on stylistic analysis
Codex, Harar, late 18th or early 19th century, Naskhī
Sherif Harar City Museum, Harar, Ethiopia
Single-volume Qur’an, Sherif Harar Municipal Museum, Accession number : SH2009.38
Gori, Alessandro, Regourd, Anne, Petrone, Michele and Fani, Sara. “IslHornAfr Database.” IslHornAfr Database. https://islhornafr.tors.sc.ku.dk/backend/manuscripts/839
It feels the kasras are oblique and between 45-30 degress but the fathas seem more horizontal or oblique at 10 degrees
Codex, Harar, likely 19th century, Naskhī
Single-volume Qur’an, Duke University Library, Arabic MS 23 c.1
Codex, Harar, likely late 18th or early 19th century, Naskhī
Single-volume Qur’an. Princeton University Library, Islamic Manuscripts, Third Series, no. 900q
Juz 12 from a 30-part Qur’an copied and endowed by Shaykha Amīna bint Shaykh Fāriḥ for her husband, al-Sayyīd ʿAbd al-Hādī, and their children in 1012/1603-4. Sherif Harar Museum, Accession number: SH2009.65 (ASH00275).
Gori, Alessandro, Regourd, Anne, Petrone, Michele and Fani, Sara. “IslHornAfr Database.” IslHornAfr Database. https://islhornafr.tors.sc.ku.dk/backend/manuscripts/578
The manuscript is really inconsistent; words hover on/under the baseline
Institute of Ethiopian Studies, University College of Addis Ababa
Juz 1 from a 30-part Qur’an endowed by Amir ʿAbd al-Shakūr ibn Amir Yūsuf for the benefit of his father Amir Yūsuf ibn Amir ʿAbu Bakar al-mujāḥid in Shaʿbān 1203/ Oct-November 1789. Institute of Ethiopian Studies, axccession number: IES 1850.
Gori, Alessandro, Anne Regourd, Steve Delamarter, and Demeke Berhane. A Handlist of the Manuscripts in the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. Volume Two: The Arabic Materials of the Ethiopian Islamic Tradition. Pickwick Publications. Oregon, 2014.
Gori, Alessandro. “Waqf Certificates of Qurʾans from Harar: A First Assessment.” Proceedings of the International Conference Manuscripts and Texts, Languages and Contexts: The Transmission of Knowledge in the Horn of Africa. Hamburg, Alessandro Gori, Alessandro Bausi, and Denis Nosnitsin, July 17, 2014, 281–96.
Mirza, Sana. “Developing the Harari Muṣḥaf: The Indian Ocean Milieu of Ethiopian Scribes.” In Muslim Cultures of the Indian Ocean: Diversity and Pluralism, Past and Present, edited by Stéphane Pradines and Farouk Topan. Edinburgh University Press, 2023.
wāw - short curvilinear tail ending in hairline
rā'/zā' - short curvilinear tail ending in hairline
long flattened tapered tail, hairline ending
‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-‘Azīz b. al-amīr Hāshim
wāw - long curvilinear tail ending in hairline
wāw - long flattened tapered tail, hairline ending
rā'/zā' - long flattened tapered tail, hairline ending
Institute of Ethiopian Studies, accession number: IES 277
Gori, Alessandro, Regourd, Anne, Delamarter, Steve and Berhane, Demeke. A Handlist of the Manuscripts in the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. Volume Two: The Arabic Materials of the Ethiopian Islamic Tradition. 2014.
rā'/zā' - long curvilinear tail ending in hairline
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - elongated curvilinear flattened bowl
Qur'an, copied Jumādā al-thānī 1270/ March 1854, 32 x 22 cm, Sherif Harar Museum
point of final dhāl placed in the middle
Hajji Saʿd ibn Adish ʿUmar Dīn al-marhūm
Qur'an, copied by Hajji Saʿd ibn Adish ʿUmar Dīn al-marhūm in Shawwal 1162/September-October 1749, Harar, 24.5 x 13.5 cm. Khalili Collection, QUR 706
Stanley, Tim. “A Qur’an Once in Zanzibar. Connections between India, Arabia and the Swahili Coast.” In The Decorated Word. Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th Centuries, edited by Manijeh Bayani and Anna Contadini, vol. 1. The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, IV. The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press, 1999.
Blair, Sheila S. Islamic Calligraphy. Edinburgh University Press, 2006.
Entry focused on the main text and not the larger first and last line of each page
Codex, Siyu(?), 1829, Naskh with Thuluth elements
Kenya, Lamu Archipelago, Pate Island, Siyu (?)
Private Collection of James C. Armstrong, Ipswich, MA (USA)
Ahmed b. Mahani b. Quraysh b. ʿAlī b. Shaykh Ibn Aḥmad
The second volume of a two-volume Qur’an, beginning with Sūrat Maryam (Q. 19. Approx. 280 pages.
Leather binding - blind-embossed/punched. Possibly rebound.
Hirji, Zulfikar. “A Corpus of Illuminated Qurʾāns from Coastal East Africa.” Journal of Islamic Manuscripts 14, nos. 2–4 (2023): 356–95.
Initial, medial and final shaft slightly inclined to left
medial v-shape with bottom closed loop towards the right
Codex, Pate Island(?), undated, Naskh with Thuluth elements
Kenya, Lamu Archipelago, Pate Island (?)
Collection of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, Muscat (Oman). Ms. 108
Second volume of a two-volume Qur'an: al-Ḥamd to al-Anʿām (Q. 1–6)
Word Allah is consistently written in red
Certain letters such as the loop for jīm /khā’/hā’ and the inside of kāf are filled in red
Codex, Faza, 1829, Naskh with Thuluth elements
Kenya, Lamu Archipelago, Pate Island, Faza
Collection of Imam Al Din Al-Salimi Library, Bidiya (Oman). Ms. AS:008.
Qāḍī ʿAbd al-Karīm b. al-Qāḍī ʿUmar b. al-QāḍīMūsa b. Maḥmūd b. Mūsā b. Aḥmad b.Mūsā b. Aḥmad b. Mūsā b. Awṣa[?] b. Mūsā b. Awṣa[?] b. Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. Mūsā b. Akīl b. Aḥmad b. Muʿallim b. ʿAlī al-Nawfalī
Volume one of a four-volume Quran: al-Ḥamd to al-Anʿām (Q. 1–6)
Hirji, Zulfikar A. “The Faza Qur’an: Three Nineteenth-Century Illuminated Manuscripts from Coastal East Africa.” Journal of Qur’anic Studies 24, no. 2 (2022): 21–47.
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - elongated curvilinear flattened ascending bowl
The word Allah is consistently written in red
Codex, Faza, 1829-1831, Naskh with Thuluth elements
Collection of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Muscat (Oman). Ms. 2220.
unsigned. A cartouch containing the woner's name:ʿAbd al-Karīm b. ʿUmar. Likely copied by Qāḍī ʿAbd al-Karīm b. al-Qāḍī ʿUmar al-Nawfalī
Volume four of a four-volume Quran: Yā Sīn - al-Nās (Q. 36-114).
Codex, Pate Island (?), undated, Naskh with Thuluth elements
Fowler Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA. Ms. FMCH90.1840AB
Single volume. Complete Quran with supplementary sections containing prayers.
Leather binding - blind-embossed/punched. Possibly original. Restored.
Hirji, Zulfikar. “‘A Qur’an Manuscript from Coastal East Africa.” Smarthistory, 2023. https://smarthistory.org/quran-manuscript-coastal-east-africa/.
Certain words such as “Allah”, “allahumma” or “Muhammad” are consistently written in red ink
Certain letters such as the loop for jīm /khā’/hā’ , the head of ‘ain and multi knotted hā’ are filled in red
Codex, Siyu (?), undated, Naskh with Thuluth elements
Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, London (UK). RAS Arabic 12A
Volume two of a two-volume Quran: (Q. 19-114)
Leather binding - blind-embossed/punched. Possibly original.
Digby, Simon. “A Qurʾan from the East African Coast.” Art and Archaeology Research Papers, no. 7 (1975).
Hirji, Zulfikar. “The Siyu Qur’ans: Three Illuminated Qur’an Manuscripts from Coastal East Africa.” In Approaches to the Qur’an in Sub-Saharan Africa, edited by Zulfikar Hirji. Qur’anic Studies Series 19. Oxford University Press ; The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2019.
Private Collection of the Al-Hinawy Family, Muscat (Oman) on permanent loan to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Sultanate of Oman, Muscat (Oman).
Volume one of a two-volume Quran: (Q. 1-18)
The word Allah is consistently written in red ink
Private Collection of Abubakr Banchuoni, Siyu (Kenya)
unsigned - attributed to Khatīb b. Abd al-Rahmān al-Siwī
Private Collection of Swadiqi Abdulrahman Mohammad, Siyu (Kenya)
initial /medial compact form rounded body
Lintel, Casa del Conde, Toledo, 15th century, hybrid
Inscription from a building known as Casa del Conde Esteban
a single writing line with overlapping graphemes
Amador de los Ríos, Rodrigo. “La Casa Del Conde Esteban de Toledo.” Boletín de La Sociedad Española de Excursiones 35 (1896): 205–12.
Marquer, Julie. “Jesús y María Entre El Islam y El Cristianismo En Las Inscripciones Árabes de La Casa Del Conde de Toledo.” Al-Qanṭara 43, no. 1 (2022).
Arch, Casa del Conde Toledo, 15th century, Epigraphic Round Script
backward horizontal stroke with final angular upstroke
Arch, San Roman Church, Toledo, 13th century, Epigraphic Round Script
San Roman church, Toledo, calle San Roman, s/n, alfiz of a window, western wall
the same inscription can be found in various parts of the church, around the arches or alfiz
Marquer, Julie. “A Methodological Approach to the Study of Arabic Inscriptions in Castilian-Aragonese Kingdoms.” Histories 2, no. 2 (2022): 157–69.
nūn, sīn/shīn, sād/ḍād, yā', lām, qāf - short curvilinear flattened bowl
Wall, Alcazar of Seville, 14th century, Kufic
Alcazar of Seville, Plaza del patio de Banderas, s/n, Casco Antiguo, 41004 Seville, patio de las Doncellas
the same inscription can be found in various parts of the palace
Cano Ávila, Pedro. “Estudio Epigráﬁco-Histórico de Las Inscripciones Árabes de Los Portalones y Ventanas Del Patio de Las Doncellas Del Palacio de Pedro I En El Real Alcázar de Sevilla.” Apuntes Del Alcázar de Sevilla, no. 5 (2004): 52–79.
Marquer, Julie. “Epigrafía y poder: el uso de las inscripciones árabes en el proyecto propagandístico de Pedro I de Castilla (1350-1369).” e-Spania. Revue interdisciplinaire d’études hispaniques médiévales et modernes, no. 13 (2012).
Marquer, Julie. “El Poder Escrito: Problemáticas y Significación de Las Inscripciones Árabes de Los Palacios de Pedro I de Castilla (1350-1369).” Anales de Historia Del Arte 23, no. 0 (2013): 499–508.
wāw -angular horizontal tail ending in split palmette
rā'/zā' - angular horizontal tail ending in split palmette
Manuscript, Beijing, c. 18-19th century, Sīnī
deep bowl extending upward over baseline
Manuscript, Gansu, c. 18-19th century, Naskhī
stories on the Prophet (Booklets intended for the training of Chinese imam)
47 f. ; Paper with content in Chinese. White cloth binding,
55 f. ; Paper with content in Chinese. White cloth binding,
irregular spaces between groups of words
certain ascenders or descenders are extended into a loop causing a mirror effect between the top line and the bottom line
113 f. ; Paper with content in Chinese, Yellow leather binding.
initial / medial two consecutive closed loops
astronomical handbook by the Samarkandi astronomer Khwaja Ghazi al-Sanjufini. Called the Sanjufini Zij. Compiled in 1363 and dedicated to his Mongolian patron Prince Radna who was the Viceroy of Tibet stationed in Hezhou in Gansu Province. Prince Radna was a descendant of Kublai Khan who was interested in Islamic astronomy like Kublai Khan and Hulagu Khan. The handbook is notable for having Middle Mongolian glosses written in vertical Mongolian script in its margins.
Abou Mohammad ʿAta ibn Ahmad ibn Mohammad ibn Khvadja Ghazi al-Samarkandi al-Shifini
Manuscript, Xinjiang, c. 18-19th century, Naskhī
Berlin State Library - Prussian Cultural Heritage
wāw - long thick angular oblique tapered tail hairline ending
rā'/zā' - long thick angular oblique tail hairline ending
Fragment of a prayer book, without beginning and end, containing prayer templates in Inchinese sish (preface etc.), Arabic prayer texts, citations of passages from the hadith about the prayers in question, finally the fragment of a Persian prayer in verse, called Barāt-nāma, for Lailat al-Barāt. Individual leaves are missing.
final simple downward stroke (makhṭufah)
initial medial and final elongated (mabsūṭah) with s-shape body
The text contains a middle composition of the basmala with elongated vertical ascenders and exaggerated loops of mīm and ḥa
The shadda ends in a wide looped flourish
short straight bowl on baseline tapering to a point
initial / medial rounded double eyed (wajh al-hirr)
rā'/zā' - long oblique tapered tail, hairline ending
Kāf with three dots on top of the arm as in the “xiao’erjing” script
Initial and medial denticles bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ connected together resemble the denticle of sīn
Abundant use of hairlines at the end of each stroke
Manuscript, Xinjiang, c. 18-19th century
Yaʿqūb Ibn-Ibrāhīm al-Kātib al-Quwīdaiwī
long thick angular oblique tail hairline ending
rā'/zā' - s-shape ending in ascending hairline
mīm - s-shape ending in ascending hairline
The tail of mīm and nūn share the same stroke
medial swollen double-eyed top and bottom (mulawwazah)
Shafts are lengthened in the ascenders letters, like alif, mim, ta, tha...
Portal, Beijing, c. 18-19th century, Sīnī
Composition in one continuous stroke (musalsal)
considerable vertical elongation of the ascenders which are aligned close together in the central composition
Lām-alif is completely vertical with alif inclined sharply towards the right
Mihrab, Hangzhou, c.14th century ?, Sīnī
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - curvilinear flattened tail
Tombstone, Thatta, early 16th century, Muḥaqqaq
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Funerary enclosure of Mubarak Khan
Tombstone, Thatta, mid-late 15th century, Biḥārī
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Chattri of Jam Tamachi (so-called)
lam-alif with alif inclined sharply towards the right
Panel, Thatta, late 15th- early 16th century, Thuluth
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Tomb of Malik Rajpal
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Tomb of Sister of Fath Khan
final one-eyes (mardufah) with elongated vertical shaft and backward stroke
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Tomb of Jam Nizam al-Din
multiple panels running around the exterior of the building
final one-eyed (mardufah) triangular with elongated vertical shaft
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Tomb of Kaus as-Sultani
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Enclosure for unknown figure within funerary complex of Amir Shahum Bayg Arghun
67:1-30, 112:1-6 (some parts missing), narrated by Sulayman b. Surad, Bismilah
Some panels are lost and others are no longer in the correct order.
rectangular - runs as a frieze around the iwan
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Tomb of Sultan Ibrahim
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Tomb of Jani Beg Tarkhan
Tombstone, Thatta, mid-15th century, Other
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli necropolis, anonymous cenotaph
Tombstone, Thatta, late 15th century, Biḥārī ; Thuluth
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Tomb of the sister of Fath Khan
final one-eyed with long backward stroke
Body of letters quite small in proportion to the flat tails and shafts
Tombstone, Thatta, late 15th- early 16th century, Muḥaqqaq ; Thuluth
Use of the superscript letters to balance negative space, in their different forms
Saljūqī, Fikrī. Risāla-yi mazārāt-i Harāt. Taʿliqāt. Kabul, 1967. 157;
Blair, Sheila S. “The Madrasa at Zuzan: Islamic Architecture in Eastern Iran on the Eve of the Mongol Invasions.” Muqarnas 3 (1985): 81;
Patel, Alka. Iran to India: The Shansabanis of Afghanistan, c. 1145–119. Edinburgh University Press, 2021. 344 (reading by V. Allegranzi);
Tombstone, Thatta, late 15th century, Other
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Funerary Enclosure of Darya Khan
final one-eyed (mardufah) diamond shaped
Beam, Thatta, late 14th- early 15th century, Naskhī regional variant
Pakistan, Sindh province, Thatta, Makli Necropolis, Khanqah of Hammad Jamali
rectangular , multiple panels running as a frieze at the zone of transition
The inscription has almost completely disappeared and can only be studied on the basis of photographic archives. The date is recorded in other inscription (in Kufic script) running on the inner arcades of the same monument.
Reference for hadith texts (Wensinck's Concordance)
Shokoohy, Mehrdad. Malabar in the Indian Ocean : Cosmopolitanism in a Maritime Historical Region. Mahmood Kooria and Michael N. Pearson. Oxford University Press, 2018.
bāʾ, tāʾ, thāʾ, fāʾ, kāf - plunging bowl
Lintel, Malappuram, 18th-19th century, Other
eyebrow of khā /jim/ ḥa is elongated horizontally