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Ever since sharing my new book on Islamic Art for children, my mind has been racing with more topics and activities I could add to make the book even bigger and better. InshAllah one day!
As it is Autumn here in Istanbul, I've been inspired by the falling leaves, and in my research, I came across the enchanting Ottoman tradition of writing calligraphy on leaves. The examples are stunning. There’s no exact reason I’ve been able to find for why leaves they did this, but the answer seems more simple: that leaves are such a natural and beautiful medium, mentioned in the Qur’an and an instant example of the natural world. I got in touch with a modern day calligrapher specializing in this tradition, and he said he uses leaves that have been flattened under books for 30 years for his work!
We didn't have time to flatten leaves for more than a day, but I tried out some simple calligraphy on leaves with my children. While our results weren’t as polished, they were full of charm and I'm not taking them off my wall anytime soon! I've written out our steps, and hope to share even more children's Islamic art activities as I find them!
with duas,
nushmia, silsila
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