Editing Religious art (section)

===Calligraphy===
{{main|Islamic calligraphy}}

Calligraphy is a highly regarded element of Islamic art. The [[Qur'an]] was transmitted in Arabic, and inherent within the Arabic script is the potential for ornamental forms. The employment of calligraphy as ornament had a definite aesthetic appeal but often also included an underlying [[talisman]]ic component. While most works of art had legible inscriptions, not all Muslims would have been able to read them. One should always keep in mind, however, that calligraphy is principally a means to transmit a text, albeit in a decorative form.<ref>{{cite web|title=Calligraphy in Islamic Art &#124; Thematic Essay &#124; Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/cali/hd_cali.htm|access-date=2013-09-06|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref>
From its simple and primitive early examples of the 5th and 6th century AD, the Arabic alphabet developed rapidly after the rise of Islam in the 7th century into a beautiful form of art. The main two families of calligraphic styles were the dry styles, called generally the [[Kufic]], and the soft cursive styles, which include [[Naskh (script)|Naskhi]], [[Thuluth]], [[Nastaliq]] and [[Islamic calligraphy|many others]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Art of Arabic Calligraphy|url=http://www.sakkal.com/ArtArabicCalligraphy.html|access-date=2013-09-06|publisher=Sakkal}}</ref>