Asian And Middle Eastern Artists Codexery

Sheikh Hamdullah

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The title "father of Ottoman calligraphy" is frequently applied to him.[1]

Life and work

Hayreddin Mar'asi instructed him in the six scripts while he was in Amasya.[2] During his studies, he became acquainted with Bâyezïd, who was also a student and the son of Sultan Mehmed; the two developed a friendship.[2] At the Imperial Palace, Hamdullah achieved the status of a master calligrapher.[3] Seven pieces created by the renowned calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi were obtained by Bâyezïd II in 1485.[4]

Motivated by that acquisition, Bâyezïd urged Hamdullah, his court calligrapher, to create a novel script.[4] Although Hamdullah believed al-Musta'simi's work could not be surpassed, he eventually gave in to Bâyezïd's persistent requests.[4] The naskh calligraphy style, first formulated by Yaqut al-Musta'simi, was ultimately reorganized and improved by Hamdullah.[5]

What the cited sources add

According to some scholars, Bâyezïd's push for a new script reflected his wish to symbolize a fresh empire and dynasty.[4] His calligraphic style remained influential for a century and a half, securing his reputation as among the finest Ottoman calligraphers ever.[1] Even two hundred years later, calligraphy students like Hâfiz Osman would diligently replicate his pieces as part of their education.[1] He dedicated his entire existence to calligraphy, creating works even when he was in his eighties.[6]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Sheikh Hamdullah" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Türk ve İslâm Eserleri Müzesi, The Art of the Qurʼan: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Smithsonian Institution, 2016, p. 82; Ülker, M. فن الخط التركي بين الماضي والحاضر, (in Turkish and English), Türkiye İş Bankası Kültür, n.d., .p. 71; M. Uğur Derman, Letters in Gold: Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakıp Sabancı Collection, Istanbul, N.Y., Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998, p. 19; Osborn, J.R., Letters of Light: Arabic Script in Calligraphy, Print, and Digital Design, Harvard University Press, 2017, [E-book edition] en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Sheikh Hamdullah" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Traditional Turkish Arts: Calligraphy Turkish Republic, Istanbul, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, n.d., p. 9; Huart, C., Les Calligraphes et les Miniaturistes de l'Orient Musulman, 1972 p. 108 by Digital copy (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Sheikh Hamdullah" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Uğur Derman, M., Letters in Gold: Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakıp Sabancı Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998, p. 46 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Sheikh Hamdullah" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Özkafa, F., "İstanbul ve Hat Sanatı" [Istanbul and the Art of Calligraphy] in: Yusuf Çağlar (ed.), Bir Fotoğrafın Aynasında: İstanbul’un Meşhur Hattatları [Thro (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Sheikh Hamdullah" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schimmel, A. Rivolta, B., "Islamic Calligraphy", Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 50, no. 1, 1992, p. 21 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Sheikh Hamdullah" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Baydar and Hepworth, "Two Case Studies:The Rejoining of a Text-Block and the New Use of Remoistenable Tissue", in: Driscoll, M.J. and Mósesdóttir, E. (eds), Car; Dijkema, F.Th. (ed.),The Ottoman Historical Monumental Inscriptions in Edirne, BRILL, 1977, p. 45 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sheikh Hamdullah (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year was Sheikh Hamdullah born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1436.

2. In which place was Sheikh Hamdullah born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Amasya, Ottoman Empire.

3. In what year did Sheikh Hamdullah die?

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Not quite. The answer is 1520.

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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