Calligrapher Mahmut Şahin met with art lovers with an exhibition titled "Yol/Vuslat" (The Road/Meeting). Şahin's third personal exhibition, which consists of 33 pieces of artwork in various calligraphic styles, is open for visitors at Kuveyt Türk Exhibition Lounge in Istanbul. Practicing the art for over 26 years, the master calligrapher said that he was educated by Hüseyin Kutlu, Aydın Ergün and Ali Alparslan.

"A painting exhibition normally presents the imaginary world of the artist. However, in our case, the visitors are offered verses from the Quran, hilye-i şerif (writings about Prophet Muhammad) and hadiths, all of which are messages," he said. "We have a civilization of Quran and calligraphers strive to describe this civilization in the best way. What we try to do is just writing the words by God properly and accurately. The Quran was said to be revealed in Hejaz, recited in Egypt and written in Istanbul.

Those are our ancestors who served in the writing of the Quran. This writing service, which started with Sheikh Hamdullah and went on with the deceased Hamit Hodja, was unfortunately interrupted," he added. "Being revived again nowadays, the art of calligraphy is coming to a climax. Certainly, we are at the beginning of this road," he concluded, saying that together with his students they have held more than 25 exhibitions for charity.

When: Until July 28

Where: Kuveyt Türk Exhibition Lounge