History inscribed in art

Derived from the Greek words kallos (beauty) and graphein (to write), the art of Calligraphy is truly music to the eyes. The harmonious strokes of the letters unite to form a mesmerising piece of work – considered to be a major form of art, especially in the Middle East.

The Bangladesh National Museum, in association with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs organised an event yesterday, to unveil the book titled Arabic and Persian Inscription by Mohammad Yousuf Siddiq. He is a visiting professor at International Centre for the Study of Bengal Art, Dhaka. As a cultural historian, he has written extensively on the history, civilisation and culture of the Bengal Muslim era.

During the ceremony, the professor talked about his expeditions across the globe. He has collected a large number of stone slabs with ancient calligraphic inscriptions, from various remote locations across Bangladesh. Luckily, many of those are on display at the Bangladesh National Museum. The book gives vivid details of his findings along with other relevant descriptions.

The event also saw presence of the founder director general (rtd) of Bangladesh National Museum, Dr Enamul Haque, along with Dr. Sharifuddin Ahmed, Professor & Chair, Dept. of History and Philosophy, NSU. The guests spoke about the significance that the stone slabs reveal, regarding the Islamic historical details. They also mentioned that the revival of such artifacts will stand as a testament for the younger generation who are preoccupied with modern technology.