Sheikh Hamdullah

Lore & Background

Sheikh Hamdullah was born in Amasya, a town in north-central Anatolia, where his father, a sheikh of the Suhrawardi order, had settled after migrating from Bukhara. He studied the six traditional scripts under Hayreddin Mar'asi, learning the methods of the old masters but initially struggling to reproduce them. During this time, he befriended Bâyezïd, the son of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, who was also a student. When Bâyezïd became sultan in 1481, he invited Hamdullah to Istanbul, where he became a master calligrapher at the Imperial Palace. In 1485, the sultan acquired seven works by the renowned calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi and urged Hamdullah to create a new script. Though Hamdullah considered al-Musta'simi's work unsurpassable, he reluctantly complied after a period of reclusion, during which he claimed a prophet taught him the new scripts in a vision. He recodified and refined the naskh style, making it more elegant, balanced, and legible. From 1500, most Qur'ans adopted this new style, called the Ottoman style or "Seyh's manner," earning him the title "father of Ottoman calligraphy." His style endured for 150 years, and students like Hâfiz Osman copied his works two centuries later. He produced 47 Mus'hafs (Qur'ans) and countless En'ams, Evrads, and Juz', many held in the Topkapi Palace collection. His inscriptions also adorn the Bâyezïd, Firuzaga, and Davud Mosques in Istanbul and the Bâyezïd Mosque in Edirne. He died in Istanbul in 1520 and was buried at Karacaahmet Cemetery in Üsküdar.

Reader's Guide

Sheikh Hamdullah’s significance stems from his role in forging a distinctly Ottoman tradition of Islamic calligraphy. Born in Amasya to a Suhrawardi sheikh, he studied the six scripts under Hayreddin Mar’asi, initially struggling to replicate the methods of earlier masters. His friendship with the future Sultan Bâyezïd II proved pivotal: upon ascending the throne, Bâyezïd summoned Hamdullah to Istanbul and, after acquiring seven works by the master Yaqut al-Musta’simi, urged him to create a new script. Though Hamdullah considered al-Musta’simi’s work unsurpassable, he eventually complied, entering a period of reclusion during which he claimed a prophet taught him the new forms in a vision. He recodified and refined the naskh style, producing scripts that were more elegant, balanced, and legible. From 1500 onward, the majority of Qur’ans adopted this Ottoman style, or “Şeyh’s manner,” earning him the title “father of Ottoman calligraphy.” His many students spread the style across the empire, and it endured for 150 years. He produced 47 Mus’hafs and countless En’ams, Evrads, and Juz’, with inscriptions adorning mosques in Istanbul and Edirne. His descendants—including his son, daughter’s husband, and grandsons—became calligraphers, perpetuating his lineage. Biographical dictionaries from the 16th and 17th centuries trace unbroken master-pupil chains back to Hamdullah, a tradition that continues today, underscoring his foundational place in the field.

Did You Know?

• Sheikh Hamdullah was a fellow student of Sultan Bâyezïd II before becoming his court calligrapher.
• He claimed a prophet taught him the new scripts in a vision during a period of reclusion.
• He produced 47 Mus'hafs (Qur'ans) and continued creating works into his 80s.
• His son, daughter, and grandsons all became calligraphers.