TENTH INTERNATIONAL CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION

1436 H /2015 AD

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 Contents

Purpose of the Competition 3

Hafiz Othman: brief information 4
Organising Committee 5
The Jury 5
Conditions of the Competition 6

1. Application procedures 6

2. Tools and materials 6

3. Styles 6

4. Evaluation Criteria 13

5. Competition Calendar 13

6. Submission of the entries 13

7. Awards 14

8. Copyright and Publication 14

Participation Form 15

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 THE INTERNATIONAL CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION

The idea of IRCICAs International Calligraphy Competition is based on the Istanbul Declaration on
Islamic Arts issued by the International Symposium on Common Principles, Forms and Themes of
Islamic Arts which was organised by IRCICA in April 1983. The masters and lovers of calligraphy
attending the symposium highlighted the various aspects of this art and emphasized the role played by
calligraphy at the intersection of different branches of Islamic arts. They also underlined the necessity
and usefulness of organising a calligraphy competition.

PURPOSE OF THE COMPETITION

The purpose of this international competition is to revive and encourage the development of classical
Islamic calligraphy. Thus, it aims to encourage artists of Islamic calligraphy to produce works within
the framework of the traditional spirit and rules and to protect it from trends which emerged outside
the classical principles.

This attempt will provide a common ground for calligraphers to exchange their knowledge and
experiences, and enable the development of a commonly appreciated artistic taste among lovers of this
art all over the world.

In the spirit to encourage artists to emulate the examples of the great masters of calligraphy and, at the
same time, to commemorate their achievements, the Centre organised the first international
competition (1986) in the name of Hamid al-Amidi (1891-1982), the second (1989) in the name of
Yaqut al-Mustasimi (d.698/1298), the third (1992) in the name of Ibn al-Bawwab (d.413/1022), the
fourth (1997) in the name of Sheikh Hamdullah (833-926/1429-1520), the fifth (2000) in the name of
Sayyid Ibrahim (1897-1994), the sixth (2003) in the name of Mir Imad al-Hasani (961-1024/1554-
1615), the seventh (2006) in the name of the Hashim Muhammad al-Baghdadi (1335-1393/1917-
1973) and the eighth (2010) in the name of Muhammed Badawi al-Dirani (1312-1387/1894-1967), the
ninth (2013) in the name of Ekmeleddin hsanolu.

The Centre has the pleasure to announce the call for entries for the Tenth International Calligraphy
Competition in the name of the sufi and illustrious calligrapher known as Hafiz Othman (1642-1698).

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 HAFIZ OTHMAN
(1051-1109 H/1642-1698AD)
Brief information

This genius calligrapher was born in Istanbul 1642 as the son of Ali Efendi, the muezzin
of Haseki Mosque. The young Othman memorized the Holy Qur'an in his boyhood and
hence came to be known as Hafiz (that is, he who has memorized the Holy Qur'an). He
began learning the "six pens" under the tutelage of Dervi Ali, but his teacher was
rather advanced in years and could not give Hafiz Othman enough of his time, so he sent
him to one of his best students, Suyolcuzade Mustafa el-Eyyubi (d. 1686).

Hafiz Othman quickly became one of his most prominent students, earning from the new
master an Ijaza (license) when he was only eighteen years old. He later studied under
Nefeszade sma'il Efendi (d . 1678), from whom he learned Shaikh Hamdullah's method in
detail. Hafiz Othman abandoned Shaikh Hamdullah's methods as of 1678 and began using
his own. Although he was criticized at first, the innovations he introduced were later
accepted.

He left many works, including mushafs (twenty-five in all), a number of En'am, one-
thirtieth parts of the Holy Qur'an (juz'es), kt'as, albums , among otehrs, including Dal'il
al-khayrt, a book of prayers and sayings in praise of the Prophet first collected and
arranged by Shaykh Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. c. 1470). Numerous copies of this booklet
began to appear early 18th century. Hafiz Othman was the first calligrapher to write the
description of the qualities of the Prophet in the form of a plate, called a Hilya al-Sharif,
that could be hung on the wall. Yedikuleli Seyyid Abdullah Efendi was the most
distinguished of the fifty apprentices known to have studied under him. He also worked
as a calligraphy master to Sultan Mustafa II and Sultan Ahmed III. Hafiz Othman's
mushafs were printed in the 19th century, and copies were distributed all over the Islamic
world, spreading his fame.

The most distinguished period of his career extended from 1678 to 1688. Three years
after recovering from a mild paralysis, he died on 3 December 1698 and was buried in the
cemeteryof Smbl Efendis lodge in Kocamustafa Paa, Istanbul.1

1
Uur Derman, The art of calligraphy in Islamic heritage, IRCICA; Istanbul: 1998, p. 221.

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Organising Committee:
The Organising Committee is formed under the chairmanship of Director General of
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), Istanbul.

The Jury:
a. The Jury consists of :
Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA & Chairman oft he Organising Committee
Dr. Abdulridha Baheya Al-Farjawee, Iraq
Mr. M. Jalil Rasuli, Iran
Mr. Fuad Baar, Turkey
Mr. Mossad M. M. Khodeir, Egypt
Mr. Obida M. S. Al Banki, Syria
Mr. Belaid Hamidi, Morocco
Mr. Davut Bekta, Turkey

b. Honorary Members
Mr. Ahmed Ziya brahim, Saudi Arabia
Mr. Hasan elebi, Turkey
Prof. Dr. Hsrev Suba, Turkey
Dr. Mohammed Cherifi, Algeria

c. Competition Secretariat
All activities related to the competition will be coordinated by the International
Competition Secretariat established at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art
and Culture (IRCICA).
The Competition Secretariat is not bound to respond to any observations,
objections or enquiries on the procedure of work or decisions of the Jury before
or after announcement of the results.
Competition Coordinator: Mr. Said Kasmolu
Assistant Coordinator: Ms. Nurcan Toprak

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 Conditions of the Competition

Below are the regulations and conditions for participation in the Tenth International
Calligraphy Competition in the name of Hafiz Othman on the basis of which the Jury will
evaluate the entries.

1. Application procedures:
a. Everyone who can submit a work of Islamic Calligraphy can take part individually in
this competition with the condition to adhere to rules followed in this art and to
comply with the conditions set forth in this booklet.
b. Every participant is allowed to enter the competition in three styles at most of the total
eleven styles listed in the booklet. One work only can be entered in each style.
Entries exceeding these limits will not be considered and the senders participation
will be cancelled entirely.
c. Participants who took part in previous calligraphy competitions and who won or
shared the first prize in one of the main styles can participate in this competition.
d. To participate in the Competition, the attached form at the end of the booklet (or a
photocopy of the form for those who did not receive the booklet) should be filled in
and brought or sent to the Competition Secretariat by registered mail no later than the
end of October 2015. Another copy of the participation form should be attached to the
entry at the time of submission.

2. Tools and materials:

a. Pen: It is advisable to use the pen suitable for writing calligraphic art works in
accordance with the traditional rules of this art.
b. Ink: Classical black ink must be used in writing.
c. Paper: The works sent to the competition should be written on light colored paper
except white paper. It would be preferable to use traditional glossy paper with
dimensions 40 x 60 cm for all styles. Works that do not comply with size requirements
will be strictly disregarded.

3. Styles:
The Competition covers the styles listed below. Compliance with the rules specified for
writing the texts in each of the styles mentioned below is a must:

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a. Jaly Thuluth
To be written with a pen of at least 5 mm. nib as a circular, oval or similarly shaped
singlepiece composition. The paper can be used either horizontally or vertically.
The text to be written is Surat al-Hujurat: 10.

b. Thuluth
To be written with a pen of maximum 2-3 mm. nib on lines parallel to each other. The
paper can be used either horizontally or vertically.
The text to be written is Surat al-Hashr: 21-24.

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c. Naskh
To be written with a pen of 1 mm. nib maximum on two pages facing each other on the
same paper. The text to be written is from al-Burdah poem2.
















2
Ahmad Shawki, Nahj al-burdah, Cairo: Matbaatul-Islam, 1910, pp.1-121.

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d. Muhaqqaq and Rayhani
The participant is allowed to take part in one of the styles; either Muhaqqaq or Rayhani.

Muhaqqaq:
To be written with a pen of 2-3 mm. nib maximum. The paper can be used either
horizontally or vertically. The text to be written is Surat al-Zumar: 73-75.

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Rayhani:
To be written with a pen of 1 mm. nib maximum. The text to be written is Surat al-Juma.

*

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e. Jaly Taliq
To be written with a pen of not less than 5 mm.-wide nib.
The text to be written is Surat Taha: 25-28.

* * *

e. Taliq (Nastaliq)
To be written on oblique or horizontal lines on the same paper with a pen of 2-3 mm. nib.
The text to be written is the first four verses from the Mathnawi of Rumi3.

g. Jaly Diwani
To be written with a pen of 3-4 mm. nib. The participants should take care not to repeat
the following widespread mistakes in this style. The works that contain these mistakes
will be disqualified.
1- The letter dal at the end of a word ( ), should be written as ( ) rather than
as ( ).
2- The vowel marks (..) can be used only where necessary; they should
not be used repeatedly for the sake of decoration.
The text to be written is Surat Al Imran: 132-134.

3
Jalaluddin Rumi, The mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi, translated by R.A. Nicholson, London: Cambridge University Press,
1925, v.1, p. [3].

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*
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h. Diwani
To be written in horizontal lines parallel to each other, with a pen of 2 mm. nib
maximum. The text to be written is the saying of the Prophet (PBUH)4.

: :


:


:
. .

.

i. Kufi
To be written with a reed pen of maximum 4-5 mm. nib. The text to be written is Surat al-
Maun.

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j. Riqa
To be written with a pen of 1-3 mm. nib.
The text to be written is from al-Burdah poem5.

4
Imam Nawawi, Riyad al-Salihin, Qatar: Wazarat al-Awqaf wa al Shuun al-Islamiyya, 1992, hadeeth no. 454, p. 219.
5
Ka'b b. Zuhayr, Banet Suad erhi, commentary by Ahmed Muhtar, Istanbul: Matbaa-i Osmaniye, 1324/1908, pp.45-50.

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k. Maghribi
To be written in Mabsut style with a pen of 1 mm. nib maximum.
The text to be written is6:

: :






6
Diwan al-Hallaj, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, p. 126.

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4. Evaluation Criteria:
The works will be evaluated on the basis of the rules of the classical art of calligraphy.
Entries that contain errors in the composition and order of the text which change the
meaning will not be evaluated. Likewise, entries which do not follow the regulations
mentioned in this booklet and/or contain orthographic errors will be disqualified,
whatever their artistic value may be.

5. Competition Calendar:
a. Announcement of the Competition April 2015
b. Deadline for registration 31 October 2015
c. Deadline for submitting the entries 29 February 2016
d. Jury meeting April 2016
e. Announcement of the Competition results May 2016

6. Submission of the entries:

To be considered by the jury, all entries shall observe the following rules and conditions:
a. The text shall not carry any name, mark or impression which may indicate the identity
of the participant.
b. Works should be sent without ornamentation or gilding. Care should be taken to use
proper packaging to make sure that the entries reach the Secretariat in flat form,
without being bent or folded. They can be packaged flat or placed inside a cylinder.
c. Entries will be posted by registered mail or handed to the Competition Secretariat no
later than 29 February 2016.
d. IRCICA is not liable, in any respect, for delays, damages or losses which may occur in
the post.
e. All correspondence concerning the Competition should be addressed to:
International Calligraphy Competition Secretariat
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA)
Yldz Saray, Seyir Kk, Barbaros Bulvar, 34349 Beikta-Istanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90212 259 1742, Fax: +90212 258 4365
e-mail: calligraphy@ircica.org

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7. Awards:
a. Awards totaling US$ 137,000.- are allocated for the Tenth International Calligraphy
Competition in the name of Hafiz Othman, to be distributed as follows:

Style Ist Award 2nd Award 3rd Award Total

a. Jaly Thuluth 8.000 5.000 2.500 15.500
b. Thuluth 7.500 5.000 2.500 15.000
c. Naskh 7.500 5.000 2.500 15.000
d. Muhaqqaq- Rayhani 4.500 3.000 2.000 9.500
e. Jaly Taliq 5.000 3.000 2.000 10.000
f. Taliq 4.500 3.000 2.000 10.000
g. Jaly Diwani 5.000 3.000 2.000 10.000
h. Diwani 3.000 2.000 1.000 6.000
i. Kufi 2.000 1.500 1.000 4.500
j. Rik'a 2.000 1.500 1.000 4.500
k. Maghribi 2.000 1.500 1.000 4.500
Total 51.000 33.500 19.500 104.000

b. To encourage the participants, the three best calligraphies to follow after the first three
award-winning works in each category will receive mentions of US$ 1.000 each
(11x3x1.000= US$ 33.000). Thus, the total number of awards and incentive prizes
will be 66. In addition, the Jury may give incentive prizes to the best works that
follow, in case it deems it necessary.
c. The Jury may judge that none of the works submitted in one or more of the styles is
worthy of the first prize or for the incentive prizes. The decision of the Jury in such a
case is final as in all other cases and no objection can be made to this judgment.
d. The date and procedure of distribution of the awards will be announced later. The
Centre will organise an award-distribution ceremony at its headquarters and invite the
first award-winners to attend taking this opportunity to organise an exhibition of their
works and to hold a scholarly meeting on the art of calligraphy.
e. Certificates of appreciation will be presented to award-winning participants as in the
previous competitions.

8. Copyright and Publication:

a. Participants in the competition are considered as having accepted the rules and
conditions specified in this booklet.
b. All works submitted to the competition will become properties of IRCICA, regardless
of whether they win a prize or not. These works will be exhibited first at the
headquarters of IRCICA in Istanbul or any of the OIC member countries. The Centre
may publish any of the works.

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 TENTH INTERNATIONAL CALLIGRAPHY COMPETITION
IN THE NAME OF HAFIZ OTHMAN

Participation Form(*)

Name, Surname:..

Place & year of birth: ...

PHOTOGRAPH
Name of your calligraphy teacher:

Education: ...

Nationality: ..

Branches of styles you wish to participate in

a. Jaly Thuluth
b. Thuluth
c. Naskh
d. Muhaqqaq and Rayhani
e. Jaly Taliq
f. Taliq
g. Jaly Diwani
h. Diwani
i. Kufi
j. Riqa
k. Maghribi

Name and permanent address :

Telephone, fax & e-mail :

...
(*)
This form can be returned by mail, fax or e-mail.

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 On behalf of
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA)
International Calligraphy Competition Secretariat
wishes success to all participants and thanks them for their interest.

Istanbul, 2015

This booklet is available in English, Arabic and Turkish. A copy may be requested
from the Competition Secretariat by indicating the language preferred and/or by filling and
returning the Participation Form.

Yldz Saray, Seyir Kk, Barbaros Bulvar

Beikta 34349 stanbul, Trkiye
Tel.: +90 212 259 1742
Fax: +90 212 258 4365
ircica.org
calligraphy@ircica.org

Page setup: Said Kasmolu

Printed at: | ..

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