Talking with Kurdish best calligrapher artist

Kurdish best calligrapher artist wishes an institution or school to be opened to teach the art of calligraphy.

Najat Anwar Qadir, 52, the well-known Kurdish calligrapher, from Erbil city, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan region, told Kurdish Globe that when he was a child, there were no calligraphers in Erbil city.

"If someone needed calligrapher, he should go Mosul or Baghdad to bring a calligrapher," said Qadir.

When Qadir was a kid, he was very good in drawing pictures, but one day one of his teachers in school told him that his skill in handwriting is better than drawing pictures.

After that he started to focus on handwriting and the art of calligraphy.

"When I was child, every day I was working to improve my handwriting and the art of calligraphy by writing on copybook and the walls in my neighborhood," he said.

In 60s and 70s the skill of handwriting was part of school curriculum, it was a subject.

The word calligraphy literally means beautiful writing. Before the invention of the printing press some 500 years ago, it was the way books were made.

In the Middle East and Arab countries, the art of calligraphy was very vital, since it was the only way to make books and writing the Holy Quran; until when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt and brought a printing machine.

Qadir said throughout the history, there was very skillful Kurdish calligrapher, such as Muhammad Tahir Kurdi; he went to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, as pilgrimage for sixth times and at last he decided not to come back and became the personal calligrapher of Saudi's King.

Now Qadir mainly focuses on mosques, he likes to ornament mosques; he alone ornamented the biggest mosque in Kurdistan region, Jalil Khayat Mosque in Erbil, he also ornamented the Big Mosque in Suleimaniya city as well as a big mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Despite his age, he still can decorate huge mosques all alone by himself.

"When I went to ornament the Suleimaniya city Big Mosque, people inside the mosque told me where my staffs are; uncle you cannot decorate the whole mosque by yourself, you are old."

And he just told them be patient.

"In 20 days I ornamented the whole mosque, and they were very surprised."

The calligraphy art is very important for attracting tourism, he noted.

"Every year, millions of tourists all around the world, visit Turkey to see the mosques which are amazingly ornamented by calligraphers."

"In Kurdistan we have very good calligraphers, and we can ornament all Kurdistan archeological sites in order to attract tourists, but we need government support," he added.

Qadir has trained a lot of people about calligraphy art, and many of his students have become good calligraphers.

One of them is Sabah Maghdid, who wrote a Holy Quran by hand for the Amir of Qatar.

Maghdid is now in UK and works as calligrapher.

Calligraphers are not happy with new technology; they say computer has almost destroyed their works, now many works of calligraphy is made by computer.

However they say the work by hand is far better than computer works.

"A handmade calligraphy work is like a handmade carpet, it is very valuable, and a computer calligraphy work is like a carpet made by factory; besides, computer cannot do the mosques and palaces works," he said.

In Kurdistan, for everything there is a syndicate or association, except for calligraphers. Many times they tried to establish a syndicate or association, but government has not supported them.

"I don't understand, everybody likes us, except the government," said Qadir who wished an institution or school to be opened in Kurdistan to teach the art of calligraphy.

He concluded by saying an old proverb, "for kings calligraphy art is beauty, for rich people it is perfection and for poor people it is money."