Hijazi
Encyclopedia
Hijazi script, also Hejazi; , literally "Hejazi
writing", is the collective name for a number of early Arabic
scripts
that developed in the Hejaz
region of the Arabian peninsula
, which includes the cities of Mecca
and Medina
. As the name suggests, it is associated with the Hejaz
region of Arabia. This type of script was already in use at the time of the emergence of Islam. It was one of the earliest scripts, along with Mashq
and Kufic
.
The script is notably angular in comparison with other Arabic scripts and tends to slope to the right. The script does not yet contain any dots or diacritic
al marks: only the consonants are represented.
(="sloping") script is a calligraphic Hijazi script found in a number of the earliest Qur'anic manuscripts. The two terms are often used interchangeably.
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
writing", is the collective name for a number of early Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
scripts
Arabic alphabet
The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters. Because letters usually stand for consonants, it is classified as an abjad.-Consonants:The Arabic alphabet has...
that developed in the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
region of the Arabian peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, which includes the cities of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
and Medina
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
. As the name suggests, it is associated with the Hejaz
Hejaz
al-Hejaz, also Hijaz is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia. Defined primarily by its western border on the Red Sea, it extends from Haql on the Gulf of Aqaba to Jizan. Its main city is Jeddah, but it is probably better known for the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina...
region of Arabia. This type of script was already in use at the time of the emergence of Islam. It was one of the earliest scripts, along with Mashq
Mashq
Mashq, or "Meşk" is one of the oldest calligraphic forms of the various Arabic scripts. At the time of the emergence of Islam this type of writing was already in use in various parts of the Arabian Peninsula...
and Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
.
The script is notably angular in comparison with other Arabic scripts and tends to slope to the right. The script does not yet contain any dots or diacritic
Diacritic
A diacritic is a glyph added to a letter, or basic glyph. The term derives from the Greek διακριτικός . Diacritic is both an adjective and a noun, whereas diacritical is only an adjective. Some diacritical marks, such as the acute and grave are often called accents...
al marks: only the consonants are represented.
(="sloping") script is a calligraphic Hijazi script found in a number of the earliest Qur'anic manuscripts. The two terms are often used interchangeably.
External links
- British Library MS. Or. 2165 Early Qur'anic manuscript written in Ma'il script, 7th or 8th century CE
- British Library MS. Or. 2165 (British LibraryBritish LibraryThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
) - Ma'il manuscript from the Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait.
- Folio in an italic Hijazi script from the discoveries at the Great Mosque, Sana'aSana'a-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
- Fragment in a Makkan Hijazi script from the Vatican library