Catalogue of Winner's Plates in the Thirteenth International Calligraphy Competition in the Name of Calligrapher M. Abdulaziz al-Rifā،ī (1289-1353 H. / 1872-1934 A.D.)

The Thirteenth IRCICA International Calligraphy Competition conducted in 2025, and dedicated to the Calligrapher M. Abdulaziz al-Rifā،ī (1289-1353 H./1872-1934 A.D.), received 640 works from 511 applicants in 38 countries. 56 of them, from Algeria, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Syria, Türkiye, and Yemen, won 30 prizes and 34 mentions, in the writing styles jaly thuluth, thuluth, naskh, muhaqqaq, jaly ta’liq, ta’liq, jaly diwani, diwani, and qufi. This catalogue contains images of the awarded works, with information on the artists.

IRCICA’s international competition is organized every three years since 1986. Its purpose is to preserve and encourage the development of the art of Islamic calligraphy within the framework of its traditional spirit and its rules that evolved over the centuries. The Jury of the 13th competition, chaired by Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, was comprised of Mr. Belaid Hamidi, Morocco; Mr. Davut Bektaş, Türkiye; Mr. Ferhat Kurlu, Türkiye; Mr. Mhamed Safarbati, Algeria; Mr. Mohammed Shahbazi, Iran; Mr. Mothanna al-Obaydi, Iraq; Prof. Savaş Çevik, Türkiye; Mr. Obayda Al-Banki, Syria.

Aiming to encourage artists to emulate the examples of the great masters of calligraphy and, at the same time, to commemorate their achievements, the Centre dedicates each competition to a well-known master of this art. Muhammed Abdulaziz al-Rifā،ī worked in the Office of the Şeyhülislam in the Ottoman Palace and taught calligraphy at various schools in Istanbul; invited by King Fu’ād I to Cairo in 1922 to calligraph a Quran copy, he stayed on and taught calligraphy in different schools for eleven years. He excelled in thuluth, naskh, and jaly thuluth in particular.

The catalogues of award-winning plates of IRCICA’s competitions are appreciated by calligraphers and by appreciators of this art around the world.