THE WRITINGS
In Arabic culture, calligraphy and poetry are considered among the noblest arts. Letters hold a prominent place in Islamic spirituality, serving as symbols that connect the human with the divine, and earthly experience with the universe. In Sicily, numerous examples of writing in decorative patterns can be found in Arab-Norman buildings such as the Zisa, the Cuba, and the Palatine Chapel. The elegance of Kufic characters and the symbolic, spiritual, and religious meanings of Islamic alphabet letters led 12th-century Sicilian artisans to use writing as an independent decorative repertoire, a practice that continued in later centuries. Alighiero Boetti’s magic squares are a contemporary example of writing used as art.