Yusuf Dhannun
1932–2020 · Mosul
Yusuf Dhannun Abd Allah was born in the Bab al-Jadid quarter of Mosul, in 1932 according to Arabic Wikipedia and the University of Mosul (Al Jazeera gives 1931). He trained as a teacher and taught in Mosul schools from 1951, then taught calligraphy and art education at the Teachers' Institute from 1962 to 1969 and later supervised art education until he retired in 1981. In 1966 the Turkish master Hamid al-Amidi granted him an ijaza. By the end of 1976 he had written inscriptions in forty-four mosques. He wrote about ten books, among them rule books for ruq'a and diwani (1978) and a study of Kufic (1972), and he wrote the entry on Hashim al-Baghdadi for the Turkish encyclopaedia of Islam. He helped found the Arab Heritage Society in Mosul and gave written ijazas to students from Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He died in Mosul on 3 July 2020.
Achievements
- Ijaza from the Turkish master Hamid al-Amidi in 1966.
- Taught calligraphy and art education at the Teachers' Institute in Mosul, 1962-1969.
- Wrote inscriptions in 44 mosques by the end of 1976.
- Wrote about ten books, including Qawa'id khatt al-ruq'a (1978), Qawa'id al-khatt al-diwani (1978) and al-Khatt al-kufi (1972).
- Wrote the TDV Islam Ansiklopedisi entry on Hashim al-Baghdadi.
- Gave written ijazas to calligraphers from Iraq, Yemen, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Taught by: Hamid al-Amidi , ijaza 1966
Taught: Iyad al-Husayni, Ali Hamid al-Rawi, Ammar al-Fakhri, Abbas Husayn al-Ta'i, Abd al-Rida Jasim al-Qurmuli, Jannat Adnan Izzat, Mas'ud Hafiz, Amer al-Jumaily, Talib Ahmad al-Azzawi
His work
Died in 2020: the works are still protected by copyright, so we show them only with the permission of those who hold the rights.
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 Ruq'ah piece the store makes: Ruq'ah collection.
Sources
- Arabic Wikipedia: 1932 - 3 July 2020, Bab al-Jadid, schooling and posts, ijaza al-Amidi 1966, 44 mosques by 1976, books with years, Arab Heritage Society, list of ijaza students, honoured 1972, death in Mosul ar.wikipedia.org
- Al Jazeera (3 July 2020): born 1931 Mosul, died in a Mosul hospital after a stroke, exhibitions in USA, UK, France, Malaysia; research centre in his name aljazeera.net
- University of Mosul (2020): 1932-2020, about ten books, disciples Amer al-Jumaily and Talib Ahmed al-Azzawi uomosul.edu.iq
- TDV article on Hashim al-Baghdadi, authored by Yusuf Dhannun islamansiklopedisi.org.tr
- Wikidata: 1932 - 2020-07-03, Mosul 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).