Investigating the Visual Elements of Ornamental Kufic Script (Case Study: Three Historical Buildings of Isfahan in the Fifth Century AH)

Calligraphy art has been existed in various forms such as Kufic, Naskh, Thuluth, Nastaliq, etc. which adorned Islamic buildings in various eras. Kufic script has been used in architecture especially since the 12th century AD. The script is divided into three types of easy, medium, difficult and includes premium features that are highly customizable and highly capable of having secrets in writing. These features can be used to design a text logo, which is one of the most important topics in visual communication. The designer of the visual communication with the knowledge and understanding of this script, by considering the subject of the logo and its functionality, while properly applying the shape and structure of the script which it can offer appropriate behaviour such as deletion, addition, movement, repetition and integration that help the audience understand the topic more and more. The aim of this research is to understand whether the Kufic script can be used in contemporary design because of its visual capabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze and use visual Kufic elements in three examples of Isfahan 12th century AD monuments including Jameh Mosque, Pir Bakran mausoleum, Hakim Mosque. To identify and compare the alphabet of Kufic letters, they have been studied separately in the first to fifth centuries AH (7th to 12th century AD). Each word has been studied as far as possible in the first, middle and last three modes and in addition, the word “Allah” and “La” have been studied because of their different structure and variation in their writing in the Qur'anic versions. In the end, the simplicity of the words in these letters is a hallmark of this script. The structure of the Kufic script, with the exception of Magheli script, is such that in the inscriptions, the order of the text is followed, meaning the words is not written backwards and forwards, because the Kufic is basically a straight line drawn on the horizontal axis, and the letters of the words are less stick together in writing than necessary. Whereas in the Thuluth scripts to achieve the ideal composition, the letters are usually out of place and even have overlapping for proper replacement. The writing system is heavier than the other two in terms of visual load because it must bear the same geometric and plant motifs as the solid base and column. There must always be perfect harmony between these three systems. Today in the graphic space we are looking to convey the concepts with the simplest elements and in the simplest possible way. In the Kufic script, the text is written in the simplest form, with the least elements, but also beautiful and varied. This is part of the purpose of this script and the goal pursued in today's graphics. So this script can be used as a method in graphics to create new works. For example, in visual and written logos, we are looking for the simplest and most minimal elements to achieve the right combination of beauty. Because of these features, Bannai script is the best way to present these works. Of course, how to use, exploit, and how to graphically load it, would be extremely important. By viewing the works of the Bannai Kufic script and its various methods of writing, as well as recognizing the features of this script, it can be used as a template for the creation of graphic works. The present research is a descriptive-analytical study in terms of its method of implementation. In this research, the visual elements of the Kufic script are first identified. Then the process of using these elements in the monuments is examined. The results of this study show that factors affecting the survival of the Kufic script in monuments can be factors such as simplicity and impeccability, logical order, succinct structural form of the text, coding with readability, black and white space side by side, devoid of thick and often dense variations of pictorial script, traditional religious backgrounds, geometric capability, both upper and lower case letters, minimal writing and composition, alphabet transformation, loss of empty space in used materials and nonlinearity in text, repetition of letters in another way, ability to change positive and negative spaces and texture.