The Calligraphy Center and its history
The Calligraphy Center is one of the five research centers affiliated to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.Its aim is to study inscriptions, calligraphies and writings in the world throughout the ages, from the pre-dynastic period up to the digital age. Since the beginning of the 19 th century many archaeological discoveries unraveled the Ancient Egyptian civilization. By deciphering the Ancient Egyptian language, it led to the unveiling of this ancient civilization. Calligraphy and writing are part of the essential means to human knowledge and evolution of civilizations.
Therefore, the library has put in its priorities the study of writing's emergence and its evolution in all cultures and civilization, searching for the major common between it. On the other hand, the foundation of such a specialized center will the narrow the gap between the fact that specialized studies in calligraphy are carried out on individual basis - experts in the disciplines of the language on one side, scholars in the evolution of writing and inscription on another and separately from anthropologists. The Center aims at bringing these experts together and creating a scientific dialogue between them, hence reflecting the role of the Library in collecting the human knowledge through the ages in its attempt to become a center of human civilizations.
The granite wall mural surrounding the Bibliotheca Alexandrina reflects the inscriptions and writings of the ancient world, in addition to characters and signs of all alphabets appeared in the history. This granite wall was just an inspiration to the fact of the library mission which should be an open court and meeting point to all cultures.
A seminar was held in 25,26 2002 to prepare for its foundation. This seminar grouped many scholars in different specializations: linguists, philologists, calligraphers, historians etc. to put the principles, objectives and the goals of the centre.
The Centre was inaugurated in April 2003 under the auspices of H.E Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, by holding the first international Forum on calligraphy, inscriptions and writings throughout the world.
The Center already has significant collections of Arabic calligraphy, and has hosted several international exhibitions about calligraphy and writing in the past.
Objectives of the Center:
- To study the emergence of calligraphy in all cultures;
- to search for the origin of writing in the pre-dynastic period and the development of writings up to the digital era;
- to probe the appearance and the disappearance of some alphabets;
- to tackle the aesthetics of calligraphy as a means of expression in the fine art;
- to establish the relationship between calligraphy between calligraphy in different cultures;
- to carry out comparative studies in calligraphy;
- to establish the relationship between modern techniques and calligraphy.
