Qatar · Fine-Art-Adjacent Workshop Craft
Khatt (Arabic calligraphy)
The practice of Arabic calligraphy in Qatar, a venerated art form across the Arab world that gained particular popularity through the rise of Islam; when transcribing the Holy Quran, scholars sought to adorn the sacred text without recourse to figurative art, developing instead elaborate script specifically to evoke the beauty and harmony of Allah's creation -- an art form in which the meaning of the text owes as much to the visual forms created by the characters as to the words themselves. Fine examples of contemporary Qatari calligraphy can be found across paper, tiles, carpets, wall hangings, and carved inscriptions throughout the country, including gold glass mosaic calligraphy depicting holy verses installed within the mihrab of Katara Cultural Village's mosque. Fatma Al Sharshani, a Qatari artist and calligrapher educated in Chemistry and Food Science at Qatar University, has received calligraphy commissions from both Qatar Museums and Paris Saint-Germain football club; one of her Arabic-writing designs was featured on the kit worn by PSG during their 2025 Trophée des Champions match held in Doha, marking the first time Arabic script had ever appeared on the club's sportswear -- a genuinely unexpected contemporary crossover directly connecting Qatar's calligraphic tradition to global sport and popular culture.
Risk level: Thriving · Not independently inscribed
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