Celi Sülüs 

This calligraphy was made by Mustafa Rakim, sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century, with ink on paper. The flowing Arabic script, known as Celi Sülüs, is executed with painstaking precision. The artist would have used a reed pen, carefully shaped and sharpened to achieve the varying line widths that give the script its distinctive rhythm. The ink itself, likely lampblack mixed with gum arabic, had to be prepared. Paper, burnished to a smooth sheen, provides the ground for Rakim’s elegant composition. Calligraphy occupies a revered position in Islamic art, not merely as decoration but as a direct expression of divine truth. Here, the artist’s skill transforms humble materials into a vehicle for spiritual contemplation. The discipline required to master this art form speaks to a broader cultural emphasis on patience, dedication, and the pursuit of perfection. Looking at this work, we can appreciate how the act of making becomes a form of devotion in itself.