Islamic calligraphy – the art of writing the verses of the Holy Quran in highly-evolved styles – is the most outstanding aspect of Islamic art. During the medieval centuries, when Muslim empires ruled vast territories of the world, from Spain, Turkey and Arabia in the west to Central Asia, Iran and India in the east, Islamic calligraphy thrived and flourished. It was inscribed on the walls and domes of many majestic monuments, such as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul or the Taj Mahal in Agra.

After Muslim rule fell to European colonisation, Islamic art received little patronage. It regained its lost glory, though, in the newfound wealthy Gulf Arab states which continue to spend a lot of money on art and architecture. But in many parts of the world such as India, home to the Taj Mahal, Islamic calligraphy art has been on a constant decline. Today, you can do your bit in promoting Islamic calligraphy art. Have you ever looked at Islamic monuments with wonder and hoped that you too could decorate your walls with Arabic calligraphy? That your walls could be adorned with art that is visually appealing and spiritually nourishing too? At Baradari: A House of Arts and Crafts, we are trying to make that possible. Based in Lucknow, northern India, we are reviving and promoting the art of Islamic calligraphy, by giving it a modern twist. Each of our pieces has been handwritten by a master calligrapher based in our city, after which is has been coloured, enlarged and printed on high-quality canvas or matte paper. The unique aspect of our pieces is the application of colours on handwritten calligraphy, and printing on an artistic medium like canvas. We make pieces with different kinds of calligraphic writing – Tughra (figurative), Diwani (decorative), Thuluth (straight) and Nastaliq. Do view our collection, and get your walls to wear a slice of the rich Indo-Islamic heritage that our store offers!