Nassib Makarem
1889–1971 · Aitat
Nassib Said Makarem was born in Aitat, in Mount Lebanon, on 14 September 1889, into a Druze family. He entered the American school at Souk El Gharb in 1903 but left after his father's death to support the family as a carpenter. He had no calligraphy teacher; his mother, a fine writer herself, encouraged the gift. First prize at the Zahle exhibition in 1909 made his name, and he became famous for micro-writing: whole poems on single grains of rice or wheat, on eggs and on ring stones, made for Faisal I, General Gouraud, the American University of Beirut and others. He wrote thuluth, ta'liq, diwani and ornamental Kufic, lettered book and magazine titles, and designed a printing type. From 1921 to 1949 he taught at the Mission laïque in Beirut and at other schools, and the courts relied on him as a forgery expert. Lebanon and several Arab rulers named him honorary calligrapher. He died in Aitat on 4 June 1971.
Achievements
- First prize at the Zahle exhibition, 1909.
- Micro-writing on grains of rice and wheat and on eggs, presented to Faisal I, General Gouraud, the American University of Beirut museum and others.
- Taught calligraphy at the Mission laïque française in Beirut (1921-1949), the American University of Beirut and other schools.
- Handwriting expert for the courts in forgery cases, in Lebanon and other Arab states.
- Honorary calligrapher of the Lebanese Republic and of several Arab rulers; designed a printing typeface known as the "Ashari" letter.
- Lettered the 1953 Map of the Arab League States.
His work
1953 · printed for the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry; copy sold by Antiquariat Inlibris, Vienna
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Only one work with a free licence and a readable signature was found; photographs of his micro-writings and panels on the web are not freely licensed.
Write in the tradition this hand shaped.
Write in this tradition now →Living calligraphers you can buy from — signed originals on paper, from AED 550: Anwar Alhulwani (Thuluth) · Ahmed Alhawary (Jali Thuluth, Naskh) · Rasha Kasim (Kufi) — or every Thuluth piece the store makes: Thuluth collection.
Sources
- Arabic Wikipedia (citing al-Basha, Mu'jam a'lam al-Duruz 2:417-419; Mufarrij; al-Amama): born Aitat 14 Sept 1889, Zahle prize 1909, micro-writing list, scripts, teaching 1921-1949, court expert, honours, died 4 June 1971 ar.wikipedia.org
- Muhammad Khalil al-Basha, Mu'jam a'lam al-Duruz fi Lubnan (2010), vol. 2 pp. 417-419 archive.org
- Wikidata item of the 1953 Arab League map, calligrapher (P6819) Nassib Makarem wikidata.org
- Commons category: portraits and the 1953 map commons.wikimedia.org
Written by the MASHQ studio · last updated 2026-10-05. Further reading, the standard references in English: Sheila S. Blair, Islamic Calligraphy (Edinburgh University Press, 2006) · Annemarie Schimmel, Calligraphy and Islamic Culture (New York University Press, 1984) · Yasin Hamid Safadi, Islamic Calligraphy (Thames and Hudson, 1978).