Summary: The Arabic Script is a modern, living, breathing phonetic alphabet in use by some 60 languages around the world, including Arabic, Persian (Farsi), Urdu and Malay. The fluidity of the Arabic script makes it an expressive vehicle for logo design and graffiti, political and fine art forms. Nearly every phonetic alphabet in the world has its origins in the Phoenician script spread by the merchants in what is now Lebanon. A number of influences coalesced into the Arabic we see today, but it was the rise of Islam and the glorification of the written word of the Qur’an that made the calligraphic art of Arabic of such supreme importance. With the conquests of the Arab armies followed by the even larger network of trade within the Islamic world the Arabic script spread from Spain to West Africa to Indonesia. Within this large expanse a unified written form allowed for the administration of complex societies, the sharing of scientific knowledge and a flowering of arts and culture. The orders of nature and the cosmos was translated into mathematical form and this in turn is reflected in the calligraphic designs created within the Islamic world. In the course of a 1000 year period the major styles of Arabic calligraphy developed. In the 21st century work continues on how to digitize the script, develop new fonts that carry forth the attributes of the alphabet. The written word continues to hold its own power in daily life and the arts.
