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UNESCO adds Arabic calligraphy to cultural heritage list 

by French Press Agency - AFP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Dec 15, 2021 - 3:38 pm GMT+3
Lebanese Arabic-language calligrapher Salah Al-Hafi showing his work at his workshop in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 11, 2011. (AFP)
Lebanese Arabic-language calligrapher Salah Al-Hafi showing his work at his workshop in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 11, 2011. (AFP)
by French Press Agency - AFP Dec 15, 2021 3:38 pm
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UNESCO has recognized Arabic calligraphy, the artistic practice of handwriting based on the Arabic alphabet, as an intangible cultural heritage on Tuesday.

A total of 16 Muslim-majority countries, led by Saudi Arabia, presented the nomination to UNESCO, which announced the listing on Twitter.

Workers sew Islamic Arabic calligraphy in gold thread on a drape to cover the Kaaba at the Kiswa factory in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 29, 2008. (AFP)
Workers sew Islamic Arabic calligraphy in gold thread on a drape to cover the Kaaba at the Kiswa factory in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 29, 2008. (AFP)

"Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace and beauty," UNESCO said on its website.

"The fluidity of Arabic script offers infinite possibilities, even within a single word, as letters can be stretched and transformed in numerous ways to create different motifs."

Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud welcomed the decision and said it would "contribute to developing this cultural heritage," in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

A woman walks past calligraphy in Arabic that reads
A woman walks past calligraphy in Arabic that reads "Allah" at the Old Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, March 8, 2020. (AFP)

Abdelmajid Mahboub from the Saudi Heritage Preservation Society, which was involved in the proposal, said calligraphy "has always served as a symbol of the Arab-Muslim world."

But he lamented that "many people no longer write by hand due to technological advances," adding that the number of specialized Arab calligraphic artists had dropped sharply.

Arabic calligraphy installation outside the Museum of the Future on the Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE, June 30, 2021. (AFP)
Arabic calligraphy installation outside the Museum of the Future on the Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE, June 30, 2021. (AFP)

The UNESCO listing "will certainly have a positive impact" on preserving the tradition, he added.

According to the UNESCO website, intangible cultural heritage "is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization." Its importance "is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next."

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