Color in Islamic history

Color in Islamic history

In Islamic art, the intensity of colors can vary greatly, although there are several basic conventions dictating how they are used. Bright and livid tones were inscribed in geometric patterns on the insides of buildings - never the outside.

The traditional instrument of the Arabic calligrapher is the qalam, a pen made of dried reed; the ink is often in color, and chosen such that its intensity can vary greatly, so that the greater strokes of the compositions can be very dynamic in their effect.