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Course of paleography by Jan Just Witkam



Calligraphy model books and traditional reading courses for the Arabic alphabet.

General works:

Ma'rad al-Khutut al-'Arabiyya. Spécimen d'écritures arabes pour la lecture des manuscrits anciens et modernes. Par un Père de la Compagnie de Jésus. Deuxième édition corrigée et augmentée. Beyrouth (Imprimerie Catholique) 1888 (in French and Arabic) (pdf).

K.F. Holle, Tabel van oud- en nieuw-Indische alphabetten. B?drage tot de palaeographie van Nederlandsch-Indië. Batavia (W. Bruining & Co.) / 's Hage (M. Nijhoff) 1882. [UB Leiden: 1107 B 3, which copy is misbound. This was electronically restored] (in Dutch): introduction pp. 1-15, introduction pp. 16-20, tables pp. 1-7, tables pp. 8-23, tables pp. 24-35, tables pp. 36-50.

S. Muhammad Tufail, The Qur'an reader. An elementary course in reading the Arabic script of the Qur'an. (With Arabic text, exercises and transliteration including the Muslim prayers). N.p. (www.aaiil.org) 1974. (in English): (pdf).

S. Muhammad Tufail, The Arabic alphabet. A companion volume to The Qur'an reader. Maybury (www.aaiil.org) 1976. (in English): (pdf).

Qawa'id al-Khatt al- 'Arabi, bi-Khatt Hashim Muhammad al-Khattat. Magmu'a Khattiyya li-Anwa' al-Khutut al-`Arabiyya. Al-Tab'a al-Muzayyada. Cairo (Maktabat al-Nahda al-`Arabiyya) 1409/1989. (in Arabic) pp. 1-15 (pdf), pp. 16-30 (pdf), pp. 31-45 (pdf), pp. 46-60 (pdf), pp. 61-75 (pdf), pp. 76-80 (pdf).

Nicholas Awde & Putros Samano, The Arabic Alphabet. How to Read and Write it. Cairo (The American University in Cairo Press) 1990. (in English): (pdf).

Mahdi al-Sayyid Mahmud, `Allim Nafsaka al-Khutut al-`Arabiyya: Naskh, Ruq`a, Farisi, Thuluth, Diwani. Cairo (Ibn Sina Bookshop) 1994 (in Arabic): pp. 1-27 (pdf); pp. 27-61 (pdf); pp. 61-91 (pdf); pp. 91-121 (pdf); pp. 121-159 (pdf).

Ali Akbar, Kaligrafi Islam. Kaidah menulis dan karya-karya master. Pengantar Drs. D. Sirojuddin AR. Jakarta (Pustaka Firdaus) 1995 (in Indonesian): pp. 1-24, pp. 25-89, pp. 90-147, pp. 148-175.

Fawzi Salim `Afifi, Gami` al-Khatt al-`Arabi. Vol. 1. Damascus/Cairo (Dar al-Kitab al-`Arabi) 1416/1996. (in Arabic): pp. 1-15, pp. 16-53, pp. 54-85, pp. 86-113, pp. 114-147, pp. 148-185, pp. 186-215, pp. 216-235, pp. 236-265, pp. 266-303, pp. 304-333, pp. 334-364.

Fawzi Salim `Afifi, Gami` al-Khatt al-`Arabi. Vol. 2. Damascus/Cairo (Dar al-Kitab al-`Arabi) 1416/1996. (in Arabic): pp. 1-17, pp. 18-37, pp. 38-57, pp. 58-81, pp. 82-101, pp. 102-121, pp. 122-147, pp. 148-167, pp. 168-187, pp. 188-207, pp. 208-227, pp. 228-247, pp. 248-271, pp. 272-291, pp. 292-313, pp. 314-337, pp. 338-351, pp. 348-363.

Mahdi al-Sayyid Mahmud, Kayfa taktubu Khattan Gamilan bi-Qalamak al`Adi?, Cairo (Dar al-Tala'i`) 1998. (in Arabic): pp. 1-40, pp. 41-79.

Hammud Galwi al-Mughri & Nayif Musharraf al-Hazza', Al-Tagarib al-Mu'asira fil-Khatt al-'Arabi. Tahdhib wa-Muraga'at al-Ustadh Mashari b. Hasan al-Sa'dun. Kuwait (published by the authors) 1418/1997. (in Arabic): pp. 1-51 (pdf); pp. 52-101 (pdf); pp. 102-135 (pdf); pp. 136-153 (pdf).

Kamil Salman al-Gaburi, Mawsu`at al-Khatt al-`Arabi, vol. 8. al-Khutut al-`Arabiyya al-Ukhra. Bayrut (Dar wa-Maktabat al-Hilal) 1999. (in Arabic): pp. 1-17 (pdf); pp. 18-57 (pdf); pp. 58-91 (pdf); pp. 92-121 (pdf); pp. 122-160 (pdf).

Mansur b. Nasir al-`Awagi, Gamaliyyat al-Khatt al-`Arabi. Kufi, Thuluth, Diwani, Diwani Gali, Naskh, Ruq`a, Ta`liq, al-Riyadh (Dar Tuwayq lil-Nashr wal-Tawzi`) 1421/2000. (in Arabic): pp. 1-15, pp. 16-35, pp. 36-55, pp. 56-75, pp. 76-97, pp. 98-117, pp. 118-137, pp. 138-171, pp. 172-207, pp. 208-221.

`Arif Hasan al-Amir, Asalib Gadida fil-Khatt al-`Arabi, Kuwayt (?) 1421/2000. (in Arabic): pp. [1-22], pp. [23-34].

Gabriel Mandel Khan, Arabic Script. Styles, Variants, and Calligraphic Adaptations. Translated from the Italian by Rosanna M. Giammanco Frongia. New York / London (Abbeville Press Publishers) 2001. (in English): pp. 1-31, pp. 32-81, pp. 82-115, pp. 116-145, pp. 146-180

Ahmad `Abdallah Sarhan, Rumuz al-Khatt al-`Arabi fil-Bahrayn, Bayrut (al-Mu'assasa al-`Arabiyya lil-Dirasat wal-Nashr) / al-Bahrayn (Wizarat Shu'un Maglis al-Wuzara' wal-I`lam) 2001. (in Arabic): pp. 1-26, pp. 27-51, pp. 52-76, pp. 77-98.

Ralph Cleminson, Preface, Introduction, in: The complete guide to calligraphy. Master scripts of the West and East. Step by step with 45 projects. Richmond Hill (Firefly Books) 2006, pp. 1-11 (in English): (pdf).

Ghani Alani, Calligraphie arabe. Initiation. Paris (Fleurus Editions) 2001 (in French): pp. 1-17 (pdf); pp. 1-17 (pdf); pp. 1-17 (pdf); pp. 1-17 (pdf).

NB. A full-colour edition on paper of this book can be purchased directly from the publisher.

Muhammad 'Abd al-Qadir 'Abdallah, Min al-Khutut al-'Arabiyya. Cairo (al-Hay'a al-Misriyya al'Amma lil-Kitab) 2006 (in Arabic): pp. 1-23, pp. 24-53, pp. 54-77, pp. 78-101, pp. 102-121, pp. 122-137, pp. 138-155, pp. 156-171, pp. 172-191, pp. 192-217, pp. 218-251, pp. 252-265, pp. 266-275, pp. 276-285, pp. 286-294.

* About half of this work is about the Kufi script.

Luxien X. Polastron, Découverte des calligraphies de l'arabe. Calligraphies Abdallah Akar. Paris (Dessain et Tolra) 2007. (in French): pp. 1-31, pp. 32-64.

* This work treats the following calligraphic styles: naskh, nasta`liq, diwani, kufi, maghribi, ruq`a.

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, Arabic Reading & Writing made easy. Al-Qira'a al-Muyassara. Kuala Lumpur (A.S. Noordeen) 1428/2007. (in English): pp. 1-65, pp. 64-149, pp. 148-179.

Min A'mal al-Fannan Muhammad Husni, a'addahu wa-gama'a Maddatahu Taha 'Ashur; akhragahu wa-qaddama lahu Ahmad Sabri Zayid. Cairo (Dar al-Fadila) 2007. (in Arabic): pp. 1-11 (pdf); pp. 12-27 (pdf); pp. 28-43 (pdf); pp. 44-59 (pdf); pp. 60-75 (pdf); pp. 76-91 (pdf); pp. 92-96 (pdf).

Ahmad Sabri Zayid, Agmal al-Namadhig wal-Takwinat al-Zukhrufiyya fi Fann Kitabat al-Basmala li-Ashar al-Khattatin Qadiman wa-Hadithan. Cairo (Dar al-Tala'i`) 2007. (in Arabic:) pp. 1-25, pp. 26-63, pp. 64-80, pp. 81-85, pp. 86-127, pp. 128-159, pp. 160-201, pp. 202-239. * This work treats the following calligraphic styles: kufi, farisi, diwani, naskh, thuluth and ruq`a.

Nurani Qa`ida. Mukammal. New Delhi (Darul Eshaat-e-Mustafai) 1422 (2001-2002). (in Urdu) pp. 1-25, pp. 26-52.

Nur Muhammad Haqqani, al-Qa'ida al-Nuraniyya. Ed. Muhammad Faruq Muhammad al-Ra`i. Jeddah (Markaz al-Furqan li-Ta`lim al-Qur'an) 1428 [2007]. (in Arabic) pp. 1-23, pp. 24-36.

Mahdi Isma'ili-Mud, Amuzish-i Nowin-i Khatt-i Tahriri. 4 Naw': Nasta'liq, Shekaste Nasta'liq, Naskh wa-Thuluth. Wizhe-yi Mu'allimin wa-Danish Amuzan. 4th edition Tehran (Farhangsara-yi Mirdashti) 1387 (2008) (ISBN 978-964-7141-44-4) (in Persian). pp. 1-51, pp. 52-112.

Salih al-`Ud, al-Tahaggi min al-Alif ila al-Ya'. 8th impression. N.p. (Morocco) 1430/2009. (in Arabic). pp. 1-35, pp. 36-52.

Ahamat Mahamat Fadil, Apprentissage de l'alphabet arabe. Istanbul (Editions Erkam) n.d. (purchased in Paris in 2010) (in French and Arabic): (pdf).

Ahamat Mahamat Fadil, Apprentissage de l'alphabet arabe. Istanbul (Editions Erkam) n.d. (purchased in Paris in 2010) (in French and Arabic): pp. 1-37, pp. 38-72.

Specific works (arranged according to type of script):