Pixels in Islamic Art: Square Kufic Calligraphy (2020)

I always enjoyed the cover of Jeff Erickson‘s <i>Algorithms</i> book, which is <i>al-Khwarizmi</i> in this style.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;jeffe.cs.illinois.edu&#x2F;teaching&#x2F;algorithms&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;jeffe.cs.illinois.edu&#x2F;teaching&#x2F;algorithms&#x2F;</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Al-Khwarizmi" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Al-Khwarizmi</a>

Mardin Artuklu University logo is in this style: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.artuklu.edu.tr" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.artuklu.edu.tr</a><p>If you look closely, you should be able to see &quot;Mardin Artuklu Üniversitesi&quot; in the labyrinth.

Worth noting that Kufi writing originates from the region of Kufa in modern-day Iraq, also the source of the Kufiyyeh headdress.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Kufa" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Kufa</a>

Just to clarify I don’t think that first image is Kufic script, whereas the second is the shahada (author calls it the shada)<p>I’m not sure about the 2 kinds of scripts claim, I think there are a few more than that.

There&#x27;s some good examples on wikipedia as well: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;</a><p>As someone with zero exposure to Kufic script before today, some of those images, and particular the circle ones in the original article, remind me of the London Underground &quot;Labyrinth&quot; mazes <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.tubeopedia.co.uk&#x2F;labyrinth-locations" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.tubeopedia.co.uk&#x2F;labyrinth-locations</a>

Such abstraction can be used to obfuscate information. Could they contain and have contained hidden messages? Hushed passwords to enter secret areas of the temples hidden in plain sight?

I had the idea of making a QR code generator that embeds those &quot;Kufi&quot; &quot;scripts&quot; but never got to do it. Now with LLM image generators it&#x27;s pretty feasible

This one is not Kufic, but it&#x27;s my favorite:<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;imgur.com&#x2F;a&#x2F;G9RAzGv" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;imgur.com&#x2F;a&#x2F;G9RAzGv</a>

Incomprehensible for outsiders. Though, any script can be fit into &quot;square&quot; writing.

Greatest shibboleths of them all.

Very cool!

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