Contents

Thuluth

Script variety of Arabic calligraphy

Part of a serieson
Islamic culture
Architecture
Azerbaijani Indo-Islamic Indonesian Moorish Ottoman Persian Somali Sudano-Sahelian Tatar Swahili Yemeni
Art
Arabian carpet Azerbaijani carpet Batik Calligraphy Damask Embroidery Ikat Iznik pottery Khatam Kilim Miniature Oriental rug Paan dan Persian carpet Soumak Suzani Tapis Turkmen rug Turkish carpet Zardozi
Clothing
Abaya Agal Boubou Burqa Chador Hijab Headscarf Jilbab Jellabiya Kaftan Kameez Keffiyeh Kupiah Niqāb Salwar Songkok Taqiya Thawb
Holidays
Arba'een al-Ghadir Chaand Raat al-Fitr al-Adha Imamat Day New Year al-Qadr Mawlid Ramadan Bara’at Raghaib
Literature
Arabic Azerbaijani Bengali Crimean Tatar Gambian Hausa Indonesian (Javanese) Kashmiri Kazakh Kurdish Kyrgyz Malaysian (Malay) Malian Nigerian Pashto Persian Punjabi Sindhi Somali South Asian Tajik Tatar Turkish Turkmen Urdu Uyghur Uzbek
Music
Ashik Daf Dastgah Gamelan Gendang beleq Ghazal Haḍra Hamd Jari Madih nabawi Mappilappattu Maqam Mugam Naʽat Nasheed Noha Qawwali Sufi Talempong Tambourine
Theatre
Bangsawan Cem Karagöz and Hacivat Sama Ta'zieh Wayang
Islam portal
v t e

Thuluth (Arabic: ثُلُث, ṮuluṯorArabic: خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, Ḵaṭṭ-uṯ-Ṯuluṯ; Persian: ثلث, Sols; Turkish: Sülüs, from thuluth "one-third") is an Arabic script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new script by curved and oblique lines. In Thuluth, one-third of each letter slopes, from which the name (meaning "a third" in Arabic) comes. An alternative theory to the meaning is that the smallest width of the letter is one third of the widest part. It is an elegant, cursive script, used in medieval times on mosque decorations. Various calligraphic styles evolved from Thuluth through slight changes of form.

The greatest contributions to the evolution of the Thuluth script occurred in the Ottoman Empire in three successive steps that Ottoman art historians call "calligraphical revolutions":

• The first revolution occurred in the 15th century and was initiated by the master calligrapher Sheikh Hamdullah.^[1][2]
• The second revolution resulted from the work of the Ottoman calligrapher Hâfız Osman in the 17th century.^[3][4]
• Finally, in the late 19th century, Mehmed Şevkî Efendi gave the script the distinctive shape it has today.^[5][6][7]

The best known artist to write the Thuluth script at its zenith is said to be Mustafa Râkım Efendi (1757–1826), a painter who set a standard in Ottoman calligraphy which many believe has not been surpassed to this day.^[8]

Thuluth was used to write the headings of surahs, Qur'anic chapters. Some of the oldest copies of the Qur'an were written in Thuluth. Later copies were written in a combination of Thuluth and either NaskhorMuhaqqaq. After the 15th century Naskh came to be used exclusively.

The script is used in the Flag of Saudi Arabia where its text, Shahada al Tawhid, is written in Thuluth.

An important aspect of Thuluth script is the use of harakat ("hareke" in Turkish) to represent vowel sounds and of certain other stylistic marks to beautify the script. The rules governing the former are similar to the rules for any Arabic script. The stylistic marks have their own rules regarding placement and grouping which allow for great creativity as to shape and orientation. For example, one grouping technique is to separate the marks written below letters from those written above.

Since its creation, Thuluth has given rise to a variety of scripts used in calligraphy and over time has allowed numerous modifications. Jeli Thuluth was developed for use in large panels, such as those on tombstones. Muhaqqaq script was developed by widening the horizontal sections^{[clarification needed]} of the letters in Thuluth. Naskh script introduced a number of modifications resulting in smaller size and greater delicacy. Tawqi is a smaller version of Thuluth.

Ruq'ah was probably derived from the Thuluth and Naskh styles, the latter itself having originated from Thuluth.

• 
  Line in thuluth written by Yaqut al-Musta'simi (d. 1298). Library of Congress.
• 
  Mihrab in the winter prayer hall of the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan with inscription in carved stucco in thuluth designed by Haydar (d. 1325/1326)
• 
  Mamluk enamelled flask. Its shoulder bears a wide band with a dedication to an unnamed sultan in thuluth. Egypt or Syria, first half of the 14th century. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art.
• 
  Opening pages from the Mamluk Qur'an with first verse of Al-Fatiha in monumental thuluth script. Egypt, late 1350s. Egyptian National Library.

• 
  Album leaf from muraqqabySheikh Hamdullah in thuluth (upper panel) and naskh script. Istanbul, between 1500–1520 (illumination from 18th century). Chester Beatty Library.
• 
  Inscription in thuluth at the Southern Portal of Taj Mahal, designed by Amanat Khan Shirazi. Agra, between 1631–1638.
• 
  Album leaf from muraqqabyHâfiz Osman in thuluth (upper panel) and naskh script. Istanbul, 1693/1694. Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin.
• 
  Levha (calligraphic inscription) in jeli thuluthbyMustafa Râkim. Istanbul, between 1809 –1826. Sakıp Sabancı Museum.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thuluth style.

• Thuluth Script