التراث الثقافي غير المادي لدولة الإمارات: قارئ

source_url: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/arabic-calligraphy-knowledge-skills-and-practices-01718 <!-- generated by build_corpus.py from data_sources/ich_elements.json --> # Arabic calligraphy **Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices** Arabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting Arabic script in a fluid manner to convey harmony, grace and beauty. It employs the twenty-eight letters of the Arabic alphabet, written cursively from right to left. Originally intended to make writing clear and legible, it gradually developed into an Islamic Arab art form. The traditional technique uses natural materials: reeds and bamboo stems for the qalam, or writing instrument, and ink traditionally composed of a mixture of honey, black soot and saffron, applied to handmade paper treated with starch. Contemporary practice also incorporates markers, synthetic paint, and spray applications for calligraffiti on walls and buildings. Skills are transmitted informally or through formal schools and apprenticeships, and the art extends well beyond paper into marble carving, wood carving, embroidery and metal etching. The element is shared by 16 countries. ## Key facts - UNESCO inscription: 2021 (Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) - Shared inscription with: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and 14 other Arab countries - Also known / searched as: arabic calligraphy, calligraphy, khatt, qalam, islamic calligraphy, calligraffiti, arabic script, khattat Source: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/arabic-calligraphy-knowledge-skills-and-practices-01718