Muhammad ibn Ra'iqAbu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ra'iq (died 13 February 942), usually simply known as Ibn Ra'iq, was a senior official of the Abbasid Caliphate, who exploited the caliphal government's weakness to become the first amir al-umara ("commander of commanders", generalissimo and de facto regent) of the Caliphate in 936. Deposed by rival Turkish military leaders in 938, he regained the post in 941 and kept it until his assassination in February 942.
Amir al-umaraThe office of amir al-umara (Arabic: أمير الأمراء, romanized: amīr al-umarāʾ), variously rendered in English as emir of emirs, prince of princes,chief emir, and commander of commanders, was a senior military position in the 10th-century Abbasid Caliphate, whose holders in the decade after 936 came to supersede the civilian bureaucracy under the vizier and become effective regents, relegating the Abbasid caliphs to a purely ceremonial role.
Arabic calligraphyArabic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy based on the Arabic alphabet. It is known in Arabic as khatt (Arabic: خَطّ), derived from the words 'line', 'design', or 'construction'. Kufic is the oldest form of the Arabic script. Arabic calligraphy is known and appreciated for its diversity and potential for development.
Abbasid CaliphateThird Islamic caliphateThe Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire was the third Islamic caliphate, ruled by the Abbasid dynasty. The dynasty was descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (d. 653), after whom it is named. The Abbasids rose to power in 750, when the Abbasid Revolution overthrew the preceding Umayyad Caliphate. They ruled as caliphs from their base in Iraq until 1258, with Baghdad as their capital for most of their history.
ThuluthThuluth (Arabic: ثُلُث, Thuluth or Arabic: خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, Khaṭṭu th-Thuluthi; Persian: ثلث, Sols; Turkish: Sülüs, from thuluth "one-third") is an Arabic script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new script by curved and lines. In Thuluth, one-third of each letter slopes, from which the name (meaning "a third" in Arabic) comes.Vizier (Abbasid Caliphate)The vizier (Arabic: وزير, romanized: wazīr) was the senior minister of the Abbasid Caliphate, and set a model that was widely emulated in the Muslim world. Many viziers came to enjoy considerable power, even at times eclipsing the Abbasid caliphs and using them as puppets. The majority of the viziers were of non-Arab origin, and several were also notable patrons of poets and scholars, sponsoring the Translation Movement as well as religious works.
Islamic calligraphyIslamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of penmanship and calligraphy, in the languages which use the Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It is a highly stylized and structured form of handwriting that follows artistic conventions and is often used for Islamic religious texts, architecture, and decoration. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy.
VizierHistorically, a vizier (; Arabic: وزير, romanized: wazīr; Persian: وزیر, romanized: vazīr), also transliterated as wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the countries of "greater Persia". The Abbasid caliphs gave the title wazir to a minister formerly called katib (secretary), who was at first merely a helper but afterwards became the representative and successor of the dapir (official scribe or secretary) of the Sasanian kings.
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital and largest city in Iraq. It is located on the banks of the Tigris in central Iraq. The city has an estimated population of 8 million. It ranks among the most populous and largest cities in the Middle East and the Arab world and constitutes 22% of Iraq's population. Baghdad is a primary financial and commercial center in the region.
Islamic Golden AgePeriod of cultural flourishing from 786 to 1258Some figures of the Islamic Golden AgeAl-KhwarizmiAl-BiruniIbn al-NafisAvicennaAverroesAlhazenMuhammad al-IdrisiIsmail al-JazariAl-JahizOmar Khayyamal-ZahrawiThe Islamic Golden Age was a period of cultural flourishing in the history of Islam, dated from the 8th century CE to the 14th century.
PoetProse genres Poetry genres Dramatic genresComedyLibrettoMusicalOperaPlayhistoricalmoralSatireScriptTragedyTragicomedyHistoryAncientMedievalEarly medievalEarly modernRenaissance18th19th20thContemporary21st MediaVoiceaudiobookspeechWritingbookdigital electronicsebookmanuscript Lists and outlinesOutlineGlossaryBooksEpicfolk-epicsPoetsWritersMovementspoetry groupsCyclesLiterary awardspoetryShort story collection / CycleLost literary worklacunaTheory and criticismSociologyMagazinesCompositionLanguageNarrativeComparativeCircleSocietyPost-literate SocietyPeerFeudEstateWorkshopCircleA poet is a person who studies and creates poetry.
PolymathA polymath or polyhistor is an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Polymaths often prefer a specific context in which to explain their knowledge, but some are gifted at explaining abstractly and creatively.
CalligraphyWriting as a visual artVarious examples of calligraphy in different languages and writing systems throughout historyCalligraphy (from Ancient Greek καλλιγραφία (kalligraphía) 'beautiful writing') is fine handwriting as a visual art. It involves the design and execution of lettering or characters using a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.