ANKARA, Dec 16, (AA): Turkey’s traditional calligraphy, also known as Husn-i Hat, has been added to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICHH), it has announced in an official statement issued by the Foreign Ministry of Turkey on Thursday.
“Our national nomination file of ‘Husn-i Hat, Traditional Calligraphy in Islamic Art in Turkiye’ has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, during the 16th Session of Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held online between 13-18 December 2021,” a Foreign Ministry statement said.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry noted that the country’s cultural elements inscribed on the lists had reached 21.
“We will decisively continue to preserve, cherish and promote our rich cultural values inherited from our deep-rooted history,” the Turkish FM’s statement further explained.
The Husn-i Hat is the centuries-old practice of writing letters of Arabic origin in a measured and proportional manner while considering certain aesthetic values. According to UNESCO, the traditional calligraphy can be written on paper or leather; it may also be applied on stone, marble, glass and wood, among others.
There are many different styles of Hüsn-i hat, and the practice was traditionally used to write the Koran, hadiths (statements of the Prophet Muhammad) and poetry, as well as for State correspondence, such as imperial edicts and warrants, and on religious and public buildings, according to Turkish Cultural Department.
