9, rue El Monastiri, Medina of Tunis

Photos: cnc.inp.tn / Wikipedia

Dar el Monastiri, built in the 19th century under the reign of Mahmoud Bey ( 1814 – 1824 ) by his son Prince Hussein, and then gifted to M’hamed El Monastiri, a prominent trader in chechias (traditional felt caps) is a historical dwelling in the medina located in Rue El Monastiri.
After the death of M’hamed El Monastiri in 1821, a notarial deed has estimated the value of the building at forty-five thousand piastres, a part of this dwelling has then become the property of the family “ El Fourati “.

TIMELINE :

1990 | National center for calligraphy

1940 | Regional center of Tunisian arts

1930 | Office of craft training

1881 – 1956 | Institute of arts

GOOD TO KNOW

The national center for calligraphy :

The national center for calligraphy is a rare organization in the Arab and Islamic world that is mainly focused on Arabic calligraphy and Islamic decoration. The center frequently organizes workshops and activities with the main goal of preserving and developing cultural heritage. Thanks to its enriching and professional training programs and workshops it is now considered as a reference in the field of calligraphy.

Calligraphy :
The art of artistic handwriting, it is one of the world’s most ancient and respected art forms.
Arabic calligraphy has become the most important form of Islamic art since it offers a strong and appealing contrast between what’s written and what’s holy, Calligraphy has in fact contributed to the preservation of the Qu’ran. The Arabic text of the Qu’ran is sacred to Muslims, and its high status gave rise to an associated respect for books in general.
However, it is important to remember that while the Qu’ran’s holy status provides an explanation for calligraphy’s importance, by no means all Arabic calligraphy is religious in content. In general, calligraphic inscriptions on works of art comprise one or more of the following types of text ( Qu’ranic quotations, other religious texts, poems, praise for rulers, aphorisms )

CONTEXTS

Linda Domke. INTERFERENCE Tunis 2018

INTERFERENCE Work: The Prediction of Light
Installation, Performance

Wind, the night sky and rescued plastic bags

Photos: Jennifer Braun

LINKS
wikipedia.org/wiki/Dar_El_Monastiri
www.cnc.inp.tn
www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/c/calligraphy-in-islamic-art/