Arabic Calligraphy as a Decorative Element in Contemporary Architecture: The Case of Doha

Calligraphy, the art of writing beautifully, became one of the main methods of artistic expression and moreover, the one of the visual arts produced in the Islamic lands that was widely appreciated within its own culture, with treatises devoted to its history and artistic merits written from medieval times onwards. The Arabic inscriptions found on buildings and objects were produced in many media throughout the Islamic lands from the earliest times to the present. The first example of Islamic architecture, the Dome of the Rock built by the Umayyad caliph al-Malik in Jerusalem in 72/692, is decorated with a long band mainly consisting of Qur'anic verses. Therefore, of many contemporary buildings in Qatar, such as Menaratien building and other buildings will be covered and study in detail in this research. Where also will be study the evolution and development of the inscriptions in the buildings throughout the Islamic World. The aim of this research is to revive the use of calligraphy in buildings to promote local identity, to study the evolution and development of calligraphy in buildings throughout the Islamic World, to increase awareness of the use and benefit of calligraphy among the local communities, and to utilize calligraphy as entrepreneurial opportunities through young generations. Finally, to document the various types of calligraphy that used in buildings in Qatar through a scientific and systematized catalogue.