by Daily Sabah
ISTANBUL Jun 10, 2026
The exhibition titled “Scribbled Exercises, Practice Pages” (“Karalamalar, Meşkler”), which brings together writing exercises, drafts and practice works by Ottoman calligraphers, has opened to visitors at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM).
The exhibition is composed of selected works from the museum’s Arts of the Book and Calligraphy Collection, as well as pieces from the collection of the Kubbealtı Academy of Culture and Art Foundation. Spanning a wide historical range from the 16th to the 20th century, the selection brings together masters of Ottoman calligraphy and offers a rare opportunity to observe the evolution of their artistic practice.
Rather than focusing solely on finished works, the exhibition highlights the creative process itself. It reveals how calligraphers moved from spontaneous sketches and experimental writing exercises to carefully refined compositions, demonstrating the discipline, repetition and aesthetic sensitivity required to achieve mastery in Islamic calligraphy.
The featured works reflect the legacy of major figures in the tradition, including Ahmed Karahisari, Hafız Osman – who carried forward the stylistic lineage of Şeyh Hamdullah, Mahmud Celaleddin, Kazasker Mustafa Izzet, Hasan Rıza, Ismail Hakkı Altunbezer, Bakkal Arif and Karalamacı Hamdi Efendi. Together, their works illustrate both continuity and individual expression within Ottoman calligraphic art across several centuries.
The exhibition is open to visitors every weekday except Monday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
As part of the program, a guided curator tour will take place on Tuesday, June 16 at 2 p.m., led by Dr. Ayşe Aldemir, director of the book arts and calligraphy collection, offering deeper insight into the works and the artistic methods behind them.
source https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/istanbul-sabanci-museum-opens-ottoman-calligraphy-exhibition/news