Calligraphy
One form of Islamic art that has been preserved well over the ages has been calligraphy. The majority of this calligraphy is expressed as writing in the Qur’an; however, there were secular volumes that this art was also applied to (such as al-Sufi’s astronomical treatise). At times the writing is so expanded or contracted for aesthetic reasons that it is difficult to read. However, at times this was intended to express in the style of the writing the mental enigmas represented by the writing, this is especially true with the Qur’an. Below is an image of a page from a 12th century Qur’an. This example uses andalusi script.
