BOSNIAKS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY

Identified with culture itself over centuries, calligraphy is considered a sign of a cultured man, disciplined mind, soul and hand. (Seyyid Husein Nasr)

In briefest terms, Islamic calligraphy can be defined as an art of beautiful writing Arabic letters according to established rules. Since it is inspired by the beauty of God's Word and since it actually originates and springs from Revelation and its essence is the pure art of Islam, calligraphy took and still holds a position with special privileges and, according to Seyyid Husein Nasr. it is considered the “most characteristic manifestation of the visual aspect of Islam.” As early as in the early stage of the formation of Islamic civilization, due to the permeation with Qur'anic text, it has become the central and leading art of Islam and rose to the highest level and the royal position among all Islamic arts.

Islamic calligraphy, as well as the entire art of Islam, was created by Muslims and it originates and springs from the Qur'an. Already in the first published sections, the Qur'an promotes writing and the written word. The first words revealed to Muhammed, a.s. were: learn and read in the name of your Lord who creates, and then: Learn (read)! Your Lord is the most noble. He is the One Who taught the man to use the pen. He taught the man what the man had not known.

One of the first concerns of the first Muslim community was transcribing and reproducing the Qur'an. As the community grew, so grew the need for manuscripts of the Qur'an. Transcribing the Qur'an soon developed into a special skill, and transcribers advanced in their work in the desire to acquire even more beautiful handwriting. Beautiful writing of the Qur'an was followed by beautiful writing and ornamenting books in general, and ornaments from books were then transferred to walls of mosques, madrasas, libraries and other public buildings. Thus, based on the first Qur'anic message and transcribing Qur'anic text, the Muslim world developed the art of nice writing - calligraphy.

Although many older traces of Arabic script have been recorded in Bosnia, this script became established in these regions as early as in the beginning of the second half of the 15th century, when Ottomans arrived in Bosnia and brought, with themselves, the first manuscripts of the Qur'an, as well as other works in Oriental languages. Together with Ottomans, calligraphy teachers also came to Bosnia and gradually transferred their rich knowledge to local population. Besides calligraphers who acquired their knowledge in Bosnia, some Bosniaks gained education abroad, mostly in Istanbul, and opened their own schools of calligraphy upon returning to Bosnia. Eventually, Bosniaks became true experts in this art and achieved a high artistic level in the area of writing, illuminating manuscripts, making miniatures and bookbinding.

This is confirmed, among other things, by richly illuminated and decorated manuscripts transcribed by Bosniaks which have been preserved and stored in Hazi Husrev-bey Library in Sarajevo, as well as by levhas made by calligraphers from this region. The museum collection of Gazi Husrev-bey Library in Sarajevo includes a valuable and rare collection of levhas which were made and signed by local calligraphers from the early 19th and mid-20th century. Part of this valuable collection has been included in a new museum exhibition in the Library and named Museum of the Book.

The oldest exhibited calligraphic works date back to the first half of the 19th century and were made by Ahmed Seid Vilić, a notable of the royal council and the defter-ćehaja of the Eyalet of Bosnia, i.e. the manager of administration of state revenues and expenses. His levhas are written in the form of tughra as one of the most significant symbols of Ottoman high state administration, which he himself was a member of. His levhas contain expressions which indicate submissiveness to God and spiritual leadership which belongs to Prophet, a.s.  The levhas were made on paper, were decorate with floral motifs and bonded on wooden panels.

Calligraphic compositions of Ahmed Seid Vilić are followed by very successful levhas signed by hafiza Husein Rakim-ef. Islamović, one of the best calligraphers engendered by Bosnia. This distinguished calligrapher from Sarajevo learned this art from the well-known calligrapher from Sarajevo Abdulah Ajni Hasagić, and then specialized in Istanbul for several years, where he was granted four diplomas for calligraphy, which are now held in Gazi Husrev-bey Library in Sarajevo. Upon returning to Bosnia, Islamović worked as a calligrapher and ran a school of calligraphy of his own. During painting and decorating the Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque in Sarajevo in the mid-19th century he was engaged on making levhas and other calligraphic decorations. Besides in the Library, his calligraphic inscriptions can be found in the Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque, madrasa and on the turbe, in Svrzo's House and Nadmilini tekke in Sarajevo.

Exhibits in Museum of the Book also include a levha by Ali Šerif-ef. Faginovića, a calligrapher from Sarajevo in the first half of the 19th century ho, like Rakim Islamović, learned calligraphy from Abdulah Ajni Hasagić, and then ran a school of calligraphy in Sarajevo. Faginović taught calligraphy in the Second Public Primary School for Boys (ruždija) and in Dar-l-muallimin. For many years, he was also a muwaqqit of the Fadil-pasha muwaqqithane by the Emperor's Mosque in Sarajevo. Faginović's levha exhibited in the museum is dedicated to founders and shaykhs of tariqas, with drawn shaykh tajes (caps). Today, his levhas are kept in private collections, in the tekke in Vukeljići, in the Bosniak Institute in Sarajevo, in the family museum of shaykh Musa Kazima-ef. Hadžimejlić in Živčići and Vukeljići, and in the Čekrekčija Mosque in Sarajevo.

In the second half of the 19th century Bosnia and Herzegovina witnessed work of calligrapher Mehmed-bey Kapetanović Ljubušak; besides holding significant positions in the state and studying cultural history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was interested in calligraphy. He signed the levha exhibited in the Museum of the Book, as well as other preserved ones, with the penname Muḥibbī. His levhas are exhibited in the Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque, Kuršumlija madrasa and Svrzo's House in Sarajevo.

            Besides the signed calligraphic works, two levhas of an unknown calligrapher are exhibited in the Museum of the Book in Gazi Husrev-bey Library in Sarajevo. They were brought to the Library from the Wooden Mosque in Bužim and, together with the mosque, were designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2003. Both levhas present inscriptions of Qur'anic texts, are made on paper and bonded on wooden panels. Besides the Qur'anic text, the author wrote following in the signature on the levhas:

اغفر و ارحم لكاتبه في ر٢٦ سنه١٢٦٠  

(God) forgive and have mercy on the author, 26 Rabi al-Thani 1260 AH (16 May 1844 AD).

اغفر لكاتبه في ٥ جا سنه ١٢٦٠

(God) forgive the author, 5 Jumada al-Awwal 1260 AH (24 May 1844 AD).

References

• Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Islamska umjetnost i duhovnost, Studis, Sarajevo, 2005.

• Mehmed Mujezinović, „Diplome kaligrafa Islamovića u Gazi Husrev-begovoj biblioteci u Sarajevu“, Anali Gazi Husrev-begove biblioteke, volume I, 1972.

• Azra Gadžo-Kasumović, ”Diplomatički osmanski dokumenti kao prvo islamsko kaligrafsko iskustvo u Bosni“, Beharistan, 5-6, 2002.

• Meliha Teparić, Analiza islamskih kaligrafskih panela (levhi) bošnjačkih kaligrafa (hattata) od 18. do sredine 20. stoljeća, doctoral dissertation defended at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, 2016.