Middle East

7 scripts

Arabic Script

AbjadMiddle East400

Written right to left. Used for Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto, and over a dozen other lang...

Aramaic Script

AbjadMiddle East800 BC

The administrative script of the Persian Empire. Ancestor of both Hebrew and Arabic script...

Nastaliq Calligraphy

Calligraphic StyleMiddle East/South Asia1400

The predominant calligraphic style for Urdu and Persian. Words hang below an imaginary bas...

Syriac

AbjadMiddle East100

A graceful Aramaic script that became the literary vehicle of Eastern Christianity. Flouri...

Kufic

Calligraphic StyleMiddle East700

The oldest calligraphic form of the Arabic script, named for the city of Kufa. Angular and...

Naskh

Calligraphic StyleMiddle East800

A compact cursive hand that became the standard for books and everyday Arabic writing. Leg...

Thuluth

Calligraphic StyleMiddle East900

A monumental style whose name means one third, possibly from the proportions of its letter...