What is Gubari Calligraphy? The Art of Writing as Small as Dust Particles

Calligrapher Dr. Hüseyin Fidan from Eskişehir evaluated Gubari calligraphy, a term derived from the Arabic word for dust, which is extremely difficult to read with the naked eye, and shared details about his work.

Calligrapher Dr. Hüseyin Fidan from Eskişehir conducts works in the field of Gubari calligraphy, a script type whose name is derived from the Arabic word 'gubâr' meaning 'dust', written so small and thin resembling dust particles that it is difficult to read with the naked eye. This branch of calligraphy, described by Sami Efendi, one of the late Ottoman calligraphers, as 'cannot be written without going mad', requires special skill during the preparation and writing phases. In history, Seyyid Kasım El Gubârî was able to write the İhlas-ı Şerif on a single grain of rice using cat hairs. Stating that the writings can be read under a microscope and high light, Fidan noted that since microscopes and magnifying glasses did not exist in the past, calligraphers increased their own visual acuity and adjusted the angle of the light.