Suyolcuzade Mustafa Eyyubi
1619–1686 · Istanbul
Mustafa Efendi was born around 1028/1619 in the Eyüp district of Istanbul, hence the name Eyyubi; Suyolcuzade comes from his father, Suyolcu Ömer Ağa. He began lessons with an elderly master known only as Dede and, after Dede's death, continued with Derviş Ali the Elder. Historians treat him as the last link in the chain that passed Şeyh Hamdullah's manner from master to pupil; his own pupil Hafız Osman, sent to him by Derviş Ali, opened a new chapter. After receiving his licence he spent his life writing and teaching, and the sources name about thirty of his pupils. He is reported to have written more than fifty Qur'ans and about a hundred en'ams; examples survive in the Topkapı Palace Library and the Chester Beatty Library, and kıtas in the Sakıp Sabancı Museum. He died in 1097/1686 and was buried in Eyüp. His grandson Suyolcuzade Mehmed Necib wrote Devhatü'l-küttab, a biographical dictionary of calligraphers.
Achievements
- Seen as the last link of the master-to-pupil chain that carried Şeyh Hamdullah's manner from the 16th century.
- Gave Hafız Osman his licence; his teacher Sami Efendi said Hafız Osman 'became Hafız Osman' after meeting Suyolcuzade.
- Reported to have written more than fifty Qur'ans and about a hundred en'ams.
- About thirty named pupils of his are recorded by the sources.
Taught by: Dede, Derviş Ali the Elder (Büyük Derviş Ali)
Taught: Hâfiz Osman, Hocazade Mehmed Enveri, Cabizade Abdullah, Kastamonulu Ömer Efendi, Şeyhülislam Seyyid Feyzullah Efendi
His work
17th century · Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Istanbul
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
These are the works in open collections that can be attributed with certainty.
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
- TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi, 'SUYOLCUZÂDE MUSTAFA EFENDİ' (2010): life, chain, students, works and locations islamansiklopedisi.org.tr
- English Wikipedia: life, students, grandson en.wikipedia.org
- Arabic Wikipedia: Arabic name, 1024-1099 AH (conflicting) ar.wikipedia.org
- Persian Wikipedia: teachers and students fa.wikipedia.org
- TDV Hafız Osman article: Hafız Osman's licence at 18 from Suyolcuzade islamansiklopedisi.org.tr
- Wikidata item wikidata.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).