Damascus, SANA-In the heart of Damascus Old City, stands Al-Jaqmaqiya School which houses now the Museum of Arabic Calligraphy with inscriptions on its walls written with various types of calligraphy Stands as a witness of Syria’s culture and deep-rooted history.
Al-Jaqmaqiya School was built by Sayf al-Din Jaqmaq, governor of Damascus, as a perpetual charity in memory of his mother in 823 AH (1421 AD), is one of the most important remaining historic schools from Mamluk and Ayyubid eras.
Researcher Ilham Aziz Mahfouz, director of the Museum of Arabic Calligraphy, said that this school is distinguished by its richness in stone, wood, and stained glass that reflects the sun’s rays.
She points out that thousands of Arab and Muslim scholars came out from Al-Jaqmaqiya School most notably the famous scholar Ibn al-Nafis al-Dimashqi.
The school is considered a unique museum and endowment to support knowledge and learning. Besides teaching the Holy Quran, Al- Jaqmaqiya was the only school specialized in teaching Arabic calligraphy in Syria. Education was free and accessible to all, and many scholars and intellectuals studied there.
According to Mahfouz, the museum houses a table of Arabic alphabet and stages of their development, an inscription on a Namara by Imru’ al-Qais written in the Syriac Aramaic script, basalt boulders with verses of poetry, and inscriptions in the undotted Kufic script from Mount Asis in Palmyra.
It also houses examples of Syrian creativity on pottery, glass, coins, and leather. Inside the building, there are nine verses from Surat al-Mulk written in Thuluth script, considered the most balanced and difficult of all calligraphy styles.
