Persian Calligraphy and Rumi (Mevlana)

Persian calligraphy of a Rumi poem:

‘Do not say ‘Who will guide me on the path of love?’ Just get on the road and God gives success’.

I'd been thinking about typefaces and was drawn to Islamic Calligraphy which didn't have type set characters. It took me a while to remember where I'd first seen them. Yes, 40 years ago in Rumi's tomb in Konya, Turkey. It came back to me when I found Amber's blog about her exchange visit from America.

 "Later, we went to the Tomb/Mosque of Rumi-Mevlana. Usually mosques seem to be done with tiles in intricate patterns, but this one was different. Prayers from the Qu'ran looked to be carved out of wood, then hand painted to create incredible beauty. It was worn, the history and stories that passed that place obvious, but still glorious, covering the ceiling and walls around us. It was the most beautiful mosque I have seen yet on my exchange. On display in glass cases, were his instruments, The Original Versions of the Qu’ran, his rugs and clothes from his home as well as Muhammad The Prophet’s beard. The feeling in that place was so intense. I have never been in a place is with such a forceful spirituality prior to this. Women cried and wailed as they raised their hands up to Allah in dua, fell to their knees as they pressed their noses to the box with Muhammad's beard to catch a whiff, people sat all over on the floors deeply engrossed in the Qu'rans words, others sat in circles professing their love for Rumi and their religious beliefs. Absolutely unforgettable."

Since reading about Rumi in the superb, "The Forty Rules of Love" by Elif Shafak I was delighted that so much was coming together and then after much searching I found a  comprehensive and inspirational Rumi site with calligraphy, poems, readings and more:

http://sologak1.blogspot.com/2009/02/sufi-art-rumi-calligraphy.html

Turkish Grafitii artist Mohammed Ali's work continues the tradition.

Islamic Calligraphy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calligraphy

History of Persian Scripts:
http://persiancalligraphy.org/History-of-Calligraphy.html

Amber's blog:
http://amberinturkey.blogspot.com/2010/01/absolutely-unforgettable.html