After arriving at the Turkish art studio located in Sultanahmet, you will be sat at a big table with a local expert teacher. They will show you in detail how to use the different materials, and tell you all about the history of calligraphy in the Ottoman Empire. Depending on your level, you will then be taught beginner, intermediate or advanced levels of Ottoman Arabic calligraphy. Ottoman Turkish calligraphy, also known as Arabic calligraphy, is the art of writing. This art has most often employed the Arabic script, throughout many languages. Calligraphy is respected amongst the Islamic arts, as it was the primary means for the preservation of the Quran. If you prefer, you can learn the techniques of Latin calligraphy instead. Ottoman Turkish calligraphy is associated with the geometric Islamic art that can be found on the walls and ceilings of mosques. Contemporary artists in the Islamic world draw on the heritage of calligraphy to use calligraphic inscriptions or abstractions in their work. You will be using the traditional instrument of Ottoman calligraphy, the kalem. This is a pen made of dried reed or bamboo. You will learn how to use it with different colored inks. In your calligraphy lesson, figurative imagery will be used to help visualize and trace the shape of letters.