Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

By Sami Efendi inscription of celi sülüs script in Sehzadebasi Cami (Mosque) Istanbul.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

By Sami Efendi inscription on paper of celi sülüs script, Süleyman Berk Collection.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

By Sami Efendi signed and dated framed panel of celi sülüs script in Merkez Efendi Cami (Mosque) Istanbul.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

Epitaph by Sami Efendi of celi sülüs script at Yeni Cami (Mosque)Istanbul.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Sami Efendi [b.1838-d.1912]

(b Istanbul, 13 March 1838; d Istanbul, 1 July 1912). Ottoman calligrapher. He was the son of Mahmud Efendi, the head of the quilt-makers guild. Sami learnt ta‛līq script from the calligraphers Kibriszade Ismail Hakkı Efendi and Ali Haydar Bey (1802–70) and thuluth script from Boşnak Osman Efendi. He was also inspired by the work of Mustafa Raqim. Sami’s fine inscriptions and calligraphic compositions adorn several mosques and fountains in Istanbul. He trained such calligraphers as Necmeddin Okyay and Ahmed Kamil Akdik (1861–1941) and was buried in the cemetery of the Fatih Mosque, Istanbul.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ş. Rado: Türk hattatları [Turkish calligraphers] (Istanbul, n.d.), pp. 239–41
U. Derman: Hattat Sami Efendi (1838–1912): Hayatı ve eserleri [The calligrapher Sami Efendi (1838–1912): his life and works] (Istanbul, 1962) By Sami Efendi, dated and signed zerendud sülüs script panel.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp Text: http://www.groveart.com.ubproxy.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/

Ayten Tiryaki (b. 1961)

By Ayten Tiryaki, signed and dated, inscription on paper of verses from The Holy Book. (Qur'an 2:255) Ayat al-Kursi (The Throne Verse).

Translation: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.Allah! There is no God but He,the Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal.No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep.All things in heaven and earth are His.Who could intercede in His presence without His permission?He knows what appears in front of and behind His creatures.Nor can they encompass any knowledge of Him except what he wills.His throne extends over the heavens and the earth,and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them,for He is the Highest and Most Exalted.Allah, the Most High, speaks the truth.

Photograph ©http://www.tiryakiart.com/tr_index.asp

Ayten Tiryaki (b. 1961)

(b 1961 in Ordu/Turkey). Calligrapher and active in Istanbul. She graduated from Ankara University,Theologion Faculty with MA degree in 1983. Ayten Tiryaki took calligraphy lessons from calligrapher Hasan ÇELEBİ in 1983. She started to study Tezhip (Turkish-Islamic Decorative Art) in Kubbealtı Academy in 1984, continiued her studies with Prof.Dr.Çiçek DERMAN and İnci Ayan BİROL. She got the certificate of Tezhip from Prof.Dr.Çiçek DERMAN in 1986. She joined mixed exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. She got an encouragement prize of branch of Nasih in the 5 th of International Calligraphy Competition which was organized by İRCİCA, Istanbul. A list of exhibitions can be found on her website. After she worked as a teacher in religious schools which were related to Üsküdar and Ümraniye Department of Religious Affairs in Istanbul, she got retired in 2004. She opened a mixed exhibition with her students in Altunizade Culture Center in 2004 where she is organizing calligraphy and tezhip courses and continiues her art studies with her students. She is married and lives with her 3 children in Istanbul.

Contact:
Namık Kemal Mahallesi Yunus Emre Caddesi Kocatepe Sokak
Doğu Apartmanı No:6/9
Ümraniye/ İstanbul
Tel :+90 (216) 329 52 29
Fax :+90 (216) 329 52 30
GSM :+90 (542) 322 39 48
E-Mail : ayten@tiryakiart.com

Photograph ©http://www.tiryakiart.com/tr_index.asp

Selim Türkoglu (b.1960)

(b 1960, Erzincan, Turkey) Calligrapher and active in Istanbul, Turkey. He took his calligraphy master of Sülüs ve Nesih script from Ali Selcuk Erkurt. In Ta’lik script he was inspired and guided by Prof. Ali Alparslan. He was awarded by Cultural Ministry of Turkey in the branch of art of perfect calligraphy. Selim Türkoglu is continuing his works fastidiously to present. He is the founder of Gallery SER in Istanbul, where he works and teaches calligraphy. His works can be found in various collections both in Turkey and abroad.The artist established many solo exhibitons. He also participated in very many group exhibitions.


Contact:
Galeri SER ÇERÇEVE & SANATEVİ
Divanyolu caddesi Ticarethane sk. 14/4 Cağaloğlu,Istanbul, Tel + 90 21 514 61 25

Text/Photograph ©http://www.hattatselim.com/index.htm

Sultan Abdulhamid II Collection - Photography Archive

The Abdul-Hamid collection photography archive contains over 1,800 photographs from the Ottoman Empire. Dating from approximately 1880 to 1893, the images show scenes within the borders of modern Turkey, as well as Ottoman provinces in Greater Syria, Greece and modern Iraq. The photos in the collection were originally presented to the Library of Congress by Sultan Abdul-Hamid II in 1894.

This monumental collection portrays the Ottoman Empire during the reign of one of its last sultans, Abdul-Hamid II. The 1,819 photographs in 51 large-format albums date from about 1880 to 1893. They highlight the modernization of numerous aspects of the Ottoman Empire, featuring images of educational facilities and students; well-equipped army and navy personnel and facilities; technologically advanced lifesaving and fire fighting brigades; factories; mines; harbors; hospitals; and government buildings. Most of the places depicted are within the boundaries of modern-day Turkey, but buildings and sites in Iraq, Lebanon, Greece and other countries are also included.

The images are well displayed on dedicated pages and are available as thumbnails. The main drawback of the website is its organisation as there is no comprehensive index of subjects linked to the home page. However, despite this the collection is still an excellent resource. The photographs give viewers an excellent sense of the Ottoman empire during its final decades.

Photograph © Title: Abdulhamit II, Sultan of the Turks, 1842-1918. Half lgth., standing, right profile. George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress).Library Of Congress. Prints and Photographic Division, http://memory.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi, inscription on paper of sülüs script. Hilyah [description of the Prophet (Allah Bless him and grant him peace)].

Top section:
"In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate"

Upper text circular area is surrounded by four small disks containing the names of the first four Caliphs or successors to the Prophet Muhammad, i.e., Abu Bakr (upper right), `Umar (upper left), `Uthman (lower right), and `Ali (lower left). Each disk contains in small letters the blessing, “May God be pleased with him.”

Upper text translation:
Umm Ma`bad, describing the messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), said, "I saw a man, pure and clean, with a handsome face and a fine figure. He was not marred by a skinny body, nor was he overly small in the head and neck. He was graceful and elegant, with intensely black eyes and thick eyelashes. There was a huskiness in his voice, and his neck was long. His beard was thick, and his eyebrows were finely arched and joined together. When silent, he was grave and dignified, and when he spoke, glory rose up and overcame him. He was from afar the most beautiful of men and the most glorious, and close up he was the sweetest and the loveliest. He was sweet of speech and articulate, but not petty or trifling. His speech was a string of cascading pearls, measured so that none despaired of its length.

Middle section:
"We only sent you as a mercy for creation" (Qur'an 21:107). This verse, in which God addresses the Prophet Muhammad, is a fundamental Qur'anic statement about the universal role of the Prophet.

Lower text translation (continues from above):
"and no eye challenged him because of brevity. In company he is like a branch between two other branches, but he is the most flourishing of the three in appearance, and the loveliest in power. He has friends surrounding him, who listen to his words. If he commands, they obey implicitly, with eagerness and haste, without frown or complaint.” May God bless him and grant him peace. God, pray for and grant peace to Muhammad, your servant, your Prophet and your messenger, the illiterate Prophet, and to his family and companions, and grant him peace. Written with the grace of God Most High by Rasheed Butt, may God forgive him.

Text © The Hilya, or the Adornment of the ProphetA Calligraphic Icon Commentary and Translation by Carl W. Ernst,http://www.unc.edu/~cernst/index.html, adapted from Rasheed Butt, http://www.rasheedbutt.com/index.htm
Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin, inscription on paper of sülüs celi script. Transcription: (Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib(names of the four rightly-guided Khalifs).Kaya Ücer Collection.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin, inscription on paper of celi sülüs script. Mehmet Cebi Collection.

Photograph ©HAT SAN'ATI Tarihçe, Malzeme ve Örnekler, Istanbul. http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr/portal/yayinlarimiz.asp

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin, dated and signed inscription on paper of celi sülüs script, 11x26 cm. "And surely thou hast sublime morals." (al-Kalam/Vers 4)

Photograph © Portakal Sanat ve Kültür Evi, Istanbul.

Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi [b.?- d.1829]

By Mahmud Celaleddin Efendi, signed inscription on paper of celi sülüs script, dated A.H. 1230/C.E. 1814, 40x65. Transcription: Muhammad RasulAllah. Translation: Muhammad Messenger of Allah. Private Collection.

Photograph © Macka Mezat A.S. Istanbul, www.lebriz.com

The Pera Museum, Istanbul

The Pera Museum, which opened its doors in early June 2005, is the first step of a comprehensive cultural endeavor that the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation has launched at this distinguished venue in the city for the purpose of providing cultural service on a variety of levels. An historical structure which was originally constructed in 1893 by the architect Achille Manoussos in Tepebaşı (İstanbul's most prestigious district in those days) and which was, until rather recently, known as the Bristol Hotel, was completely renovated to serve as a museum and cultural center for the project. Transformed into a fully-equipped modern museum, this venerable building is now serving the people of İstanbul once again.

The first and second floors of the Pera Museum house three permanent collections belonging to the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation, with the Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül Gallery on the second floor. The third, fourth, and fifth floors are devoted to multipurpose exhibition spaces. There is an auditorium and lobby in the basement and on the ground floor are the reception desk and Perakende - Artshop and a cafe.

A large part of the first of the two museum floors above the ground floor displays choice examples from the foundation's collection of Anatolian Weights and Measures for the benefit of those who are in love with history and archaeology. Made from many different materials using many different techniques, these objects show the development of the devices used to weigh and measure in Anatolia since the earliest times. In another wing on the same floor is the foundation's collection of Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics, whose strikingly beautiful pieces seek to shed new light on an area of creativity in our cultural history that is not very well known.

The Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation's collection of Orientalist art consists of more than three hundred paintings. This rich collection brings together important works by European artists inspired by the Ottoman world from the 17th century to the early 19th. This collection, which presents a vast visual panorama of the last two centuries of the Ottoman Empire, includes works by Osman Hamdi, regarded by art historians as the genre's only "native Orientalist" and of course his most famous painting The Tortoise Trainer. Many paintings from the private collections of the late Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül have also entered the foundation's permanent collection. It is planned to exhibit the collection in the Sevgi and Erdoğan Gönül Gallery dedicated to their name in a series of long-term thematic exhibitions. The first of these, which opened in early June 2005, is called "Portraits from the Empire" and consists of portraits of sultans, princes, and other members of the Ottoman imperial family as well as of foreign ambassadors together with other "portraits" in the general sense, showing people from many different periods and walks of life.

In addition to its function as a private museum in which to display the collection of the family, the Pera Museum is also intended to provide the people of İstanbul with a broad range of cultural services as a modern cultural center located in a vibrant part of the city and equipped with multipurpose exhibition spaces, an auditorium and lobby, and activity spaces for visitors.

Contact Info:

Meşrutiyet Caddesi No.141
34443 Tepebaşı - Beyoğlu - İstanbul
Tel. + 90 212 334 99 00
Fax. + 90 212 245 95 11
info@peramuzesi.org.tr

Visiting Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 - 19.00
Sunday 12.00 - 18.00
The museum is closed on Monday.


Text/Photograph © http://www.pm.org.tr/index_en.html

Ali Emiri Efendi (1854-1924)

Ali Emiri Efendi ( 1854 Diyarbakır - 1924 İstanbul)

Ali Emîrî Efendi was born in Diyarbakır, one of the most significant areas among the Ottoman provinces. He was not exposed to a conventional education. Much like all Tanzimat period employees, his life was spent traversing the empire's geography from one end to the other. He collected rare books in the course of his travels. The ones he could not acquire, he copied by hand to save them being forever lost. For Ali Emîrî Efendi, books were not a collection item but rather a tool for discovery through reading. He was not interested in the movements of modernization during the period in which he lived. His greatest passion was to familiarize new generations with the Ottoman-Turkish heritage. To accomplish this, he established the Millet Library and donated his books to his "nation."

Ali Emîrî Efendi was a poet, a historian, a biographer and a publisher. He was particularly recognized as the book connoisseur who rediscovered Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk. He was never married, never had his photograph taken and never set foot in Beyoğlu. He spent his life reading and writing, in the company of his books and cats.

Ali Emiri Efendi and His World- Exhibition

A Selection from the Millet Manuscript Library. Ali Emiri Efendi and His World.
Fermans, berats, calligraphies, books.

If the cultural inheritance of past, particularly the fragile and perishable pieces of the inheritance - such as books, documents, manuscripts or photographs - miraculously manage to survive until the present day, it is mostly trough the efforts of a number of nameless heroes, who dedicate their entire lives to the collection, preservation and transmission of these objects to future generations. Thanks to these men, who recognize and appreciate their value, many priceless works of the past have withstood wars, destructions or natural disasters, transcending centuries to assume their places in today's contemporary museums and library collections. Ali Emiri Efendi and his world exhibition we are hosting in two sections, in the halss of Pera Museum and Istanbul Research Institute today, sheds light to the unconventional adventure of such a man. Through the imperial edicts, books and calligraphic works he excavated from the debris of a deteriorating empire, and subsequently preserved and donated to the Millet Library he established, as well as a selection of his personel belongings and documents, we encounter the persona of Ali Emiri Efendi as a "culture man" and journey into a world he was passionately connected to.

Hosted by Pera Museum (3rd floor) and Istanbul Research Institute, Ali Emîrî Efendi and his World exhibition is compartmentalized into three major sections. The first section is comprised of 49 fermans and berats, extending over 500 years, from Sultan Süleyman, the Magnificent, to Sultan Reşad. These 49 spectacular works of tuğra (imperial monogram), hat (calligraphy and tezhip (decoration) are being brought to light for the first time. The second section includes 31 kıt'as (rectangular calligraphic works) and levhas (large-scale panels) by the greatest masters of calligraphic art. Penned by Şeyh Hamdullah, Hâfız Osman, Yedikuleli Seyyid Abdullah, Şeyhülislâm Veliyüddin Efendi, İsmail Zühdi, Mahmud Celaleddin and Kadıasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi, these calligraphies reveal the quintessence of Ottoman aesthetics. The third and final section is a selection from the rare and precious books Ali Emîrî Efendi collected in a lifetime. This wide spectrum consists of 69 books, ranging from the Ottoman sultans' collective poetry to medicine, from geography to history and Sufism. Discovered by Ali Emîrî Efendi in 1914, the sole copy of the legendary Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk, which was written by Mahmud of Kashgar in the 11th century, is revealed to the public for the first time in this exhibition.

24 January – 1 July 2007, Pera Museum Istanbul and Istanbul Research Institute.

Contact Info:

Meşrutiyet Caddesi No.141
34443 Tepebaşı - Beyoğlu - İstanbul
Tel. + 90 212 334 99 00
Fax. + 90 212 245 95 11
info@peramuzesi.org.tr

Visiting Hours:

Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 - 19.00
Sunday 12.00 - 18.00
The museum is closed on Monday.


About Ali Emiri Efendi ( 1854 Diyarbakır - 1924 İstanbul)

Ali Emîrî Efendi was born in Diyarbakır, one of the most significant areas among the Ottoman provinces. He was not exposed to a conventional education. Much like all Tanzimat period employees, his life was spent traversing the empire's geography from one end to the other. He collected rare books in the course of his travels. The ones he could not acquire, he copied by hand to save them being forever lost. For Ali Emîrî Efendi, books were not a collection item but rather a tool for discovery through reading. He was not interested in the movements of modernization during the period in which he lived. His greatest passion was to familiarize new generations with the Ottoman-Turkish heritage. To accomplish this, he established the Millet Library and donated his books to his "nation."

Ali Emîrî Efendi was a poet, a historian, a biographer and a publisher. He was particularly recognized as the book connoisseur who rediscovered Dîvânu Lugâti't-Türk. He was never married, never had his photograph taken and never set foot in Beyoğlu. He spent his life reading and writing, in the company of his books and cats.


Text/Photograph © Pera Museum, Istanbul

İlhan Özkececi (b. 1955)

(b Kayseri, Turkey 1955) Turkish calligrapher and illumination decorator. Prof. Özkececi is active in Turkey.

Education:

BA/ Master: Istanbul Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Decorative Arts (1973-1980)
Phil. Doctorate (Qualification in Art): Mimar Sinan University, Fine Arts Faculty,
Traditional Turkish Handicrafts Illumination-Decoration Department (1991)
Studying riq`a script with calligrapher Kemal Batanay, and illumination with Rikkat
Kunt, Muhsin Demironat and Tahsin Aykutalp in 1974 - 1980
Studying calligraphy with Hasan Çelebi (1975-1996), and receiving a calligraphy certificate in the style of thuluth and naskh (1997),

Professional Experience:

Instructor in Erciyes University, Department of Fine Arts (1983 - 1995)
Ass. Assoc. Prof. in Süleyman Demirel University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Traditional Turkish Handicrafts. Continuing his work as the president of the department. (1995-2005)
Ass. Prof. (1996)
Prof. (2003)
Fatih University (2006)

Books
1993 - Turkish Illumination Art and Ornamental Motifs - Minbar - Minarets in Kayseri Mosques
1997 - Historical Kayseri Mosques
2004 - Turkish Art in IX. Century
2006 - Islamic Art from VII. to XII. Centuries


Contact:
İlhan Özkeçeci
www.ilhanozkececi.com
P.K. 38 Fatih 34080 İstanbul
Mobile : +90 532-711 5488



Text/Photograph© İlhan Özkeçeci

Güvenc Güven (b.1958)

(b 1958) Turkish calligrapher. Güvenç Güven was born in 1958. He took part in various restoration projects such as Edirne Selimiye Mosque (1983 - 1985) and Istanbul Sultan Ahmet Mosque (1986 - 1988). He was also an instructor of hand-drawn art. He has been working as a restorer in various projects since 1988. He took calligraphy lessons from Mahmut Öncü who was an instructor in Mimar Sinan University. He was also trained by Tahsin Aykutalp in drawing. He took glazed tile lessons from Faik Kırımlı in 1995. Afterwards, he established his own workshop. His works can be found in various collections, museums etc. both in Turkey and abroad. The artist established many solo exhibitons. He also participated in very many group exhibitions.

Exhibitions

2006 The First International Crafts Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
2006 Ayasofya Museum
2005 Vakıfbank General Management Art Gallery, Istanbul
2004 Milli Piyango Art Gallery, Ankara
2004 Eminönü Municipality Cultur Center
2004 Eyüp Symposium
2003 Mevlana Museum, Konya
2003 Tekel Art Gallery
2002 International Islamic Art Exhibition, Iran, Isfahan
1998 Pencil on Wood and 16th century İznik Tile Exhibition
1990 Antique and Art Fair, Swiss Otel
1990 Press Museum Art Gallery
1988 Beyoğlu Municipality Art Gallery
1991 Konya Dostlar Group Exhibition
1989 YKB Beyoglu Gallery, Istanbul

Contact:
Güvenç Güven
www.guvencguven.com
Defterdar Cad. No:10 Kat:2 Eyüp, İstanbul
Phone : +90 212-612 1615 - Mobile : +90 532-503 4707

Text/Photograph© Güvenc Güven and www.lebriz.com

Davut Bektas (b.1963)

( b Akoluk, Adana 1963) Turkish calligrapher. Davut Bektas attended the elementary school in Akoluk and continued his education at the ‘Imam-Hatip’ high-school of Adana . In 1981, he was accepted to the law-school of Istanbul University and received his law degree in 1992. During high-school he got interested in the art of Islamic calligraphy and decided to take classes. When he arrived in Istanbul towards the end of 1981 to attend law school, he started Islamic calligraphy lessons with the late Hattat (calligrapher) Yusuf Ergün Erzincani. He studied the script Thuluth with this master for a short period of time. Meeting Hattat Hasan Çelebi in 1982, he started lessons with him in the scripts of Thuluth, Naskh and Rik`a. He received his diploma (ijaza) from his teacher in 1994. Examining the works of previous hattats, like Sami Efendi and Hamid Bey, and benefiting from the works of contemporary hattats, Mr. Bektaş has focused on the script of Jali Thuluth. Uğur Derman, an expert in Islamic calligraphy, gave him some copies of Sami Efendi`s Jali Thuluth writings of which the originals are on the water fountain behind ‘Yeni Cami’ (New Mosque) in Istanbul. Mr. Bektaş greatly benefited from these sources as well as from Şevki Efendi`s Thuluth and Naskh works. These valuable sources have played a special role in the development of his art. Mr. Bektaş has also received lessons in the scripts of Taliq and Diwani from the late Prof. Ali Alparslan between 2002 and 2005. Currently Mr. Bektaş is producing pieces of Islamic calligraphy and is teaching calligraphy classes in Istanbul .

EXHIBITIONS

1984 Exhibition of Calligraphy and Illumination by Contemporary Artists, IRCICA, Istanbul
1989 Birlik Foundation, Istanbul
1989 Bize Art Gallery , Istanbul
1990 Yıldız Palace Art Gallery , Istanbul
1994 MÜSİAD Swiss Otel, Istanbul
1994 Elif Exhibition Gallery, Istanbul
1996 International MÜSİAD Fair, World Trade Centre, Istanbul
1998 International MÜSİAD Fair, TUYAP, Istanbul
2001 International Quran Exhibition, Tahran
2003 Turkish traditional handicrafts exhibition, Fatih University , Istanbul
2003 Calligraphy exhibition, Taksim Art Gallery, Istanbul
2003 The 4th International, Cultural and Artistic Festival, Büyükçekmece municipality, Istanbul
2004 Dubai International Exhibition of the Art of Islamic Calligraphy, Shaikh Saeed House, Dubai
2004 From Past to Future, Bridges Established by Reed and Paintbrush, Cairo , Egypt
2004 Selected Works by Hattat Hasan Çelebi and his students, Maksut Varol Art Gallery , Istanbul .
2004 Dubai International Exhibition of the Art of Arabic
Calligraphy Al-Owais Cultural Foundation, Dubai .
2005 The Music of Letters , Kuwait Arts Association, Kuwait (personal exhibition by Davut Bektas)
2005 Turkish Traditional Arts Exhibition, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Art Gallery, Istanbul .
2006 2nd International Biennial for the Art of Arabic calligraphy, Sharjah.
2006 Days of Arabic Calligraphy , Tunisia .
2006 Turkish Traditional Arts Spring Exhibition, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Art Gallery , Istanbul

LIST OF AWARDS

International
In the International Islamic calligraphy competitions organized by IRCICA, Mr. Bektaş received the first prize in Jali Thuluth and honourable mention award in the style of direct imitation in 1986. He was awarded the first prize in Jali Thuluth in 1989 and the first prize in Thuluth in 1993. In 1997 he received the first prize in the Islamic Festival organized in Tahran. In 2006, he won an award at the 2nd International Biennial for the Art of Arabic calligraphy in Sharjah.

National
In 1988, he received the first prize in the Islamic calligraphy competition organized as part of the Gülhane Festival in Istanbul. In 1991 and 1992, he participated in two competitions organized in Urfa and received the first prizes at both organizations.

Gallery Contact:
Konak Mimarlık ve Sanat Hizmetleri
San. Tic. Ltd. Şti
Halıcılar Cad. Kocaoğlu Apt. 38 / 1
Fatih İstanbul
Tel : + 90 212 532 30 39
Faks: + 90 212 532 25 16
konak@konakmimarlik.com


Text/Photograph ©http://www.konakmimarlik.com/konaksanat.com/default.asp