Prince Amyn Mohamed Aga Khan Speaks at Zamana Gallery - 1989-01-26

Speaking at the opening, Prince Amyn Mohammed said that of all art forms " Calligraphy holds pride of place as the foremost and perhaps most characteristic of the modes of visual expression in Islam." The tradition of calligraphy "started with the earliest written versions of the Quran in the mid-seventh century," said Prince Amyn Mohammed, "gained speed between the ninth and tenth centuries, when Arabic calligraphy entered a more codified form, knew a slight decline with the spread of printing throughout the Muslim world, but basically enjoyed ten centuries of uninterrupted growth and splendour. It is a tradition which still endures today among Muslims scattered across the far reaches of the globe."