Launched by the Ministry of Culture, the ‘Year of Calligraphy’ initiative has been celebrating this cultural traditional through various programs, activities, and workshops.

Arabic calligraphy has been emphasised in the Middle East for the last few years and now the art has been gaining popularity in the region. The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), too, has been promoting the art through a special initiative.

Launched by the Ministry of Culture, the ‘Year of Calligraphy’ initiative has been celebrating this cultural tradition through various programs, activities, and workshops.

Taking participants into a world of Mu’allaqat (distinguished poems), Arabic maqams (melodic material), poetry, prose and more, the language has been gaining popularity. Even so now, due to UNESCO’s recognition for Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.

Ithra, through its program, has offered people the opportunity to explore the history and design of calligraphy and encouraging individuals to focus on the history of the Arabic language.

Ithra’s one of the programs — ‘The Calligraphy Tree’ was an installation of all the Arabic letters in different colours, sizes, and shapes. The program discussed the identity of Arabic calligraphy and learning to see it as an art form.

Other workshops were held on Arabic calligraphy at Ithra that explored the stages of the art, along with other activities that aimed at advancing calligraphy on intellectual, cultural, and cognitive levels.

The Center also organised various seminars at the Children’s Museum and workshops that focused on printing Arabic calligraphy through Risograph technology. Rare products and manuscripts were exhibited in the Ithra library.

Ithra ended its calligraphy journey through the execution of an artistic work, carving out verses for 51 Arab poets of all ages and from different times.

Through all these programs and seminars, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture aims to provide quality initiatives and programs for all sections of the community.