Afghan Calligrapher Handwrites Quran, Trains Women in Herat

Afghan Calligrapher Handwrites Quran, Trains Women in Herat
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Afghan calligrapher Nikita Durrani is continuing her project to handwrite the entire Holy Quran and translate it into Pashto, combining the preservation of Islamic artistic heritage with support for women’s participation in cultural and creative work.

Based in Herat, western Afghanistan, Durrani spends long hours carefully copying Quranic verses in Arabic calligraphy onto large pages. She says the project is her greatest personal and artistic ambition, building on years of experience in Quranic calligraphy, including earlier group projects.

Her work is being displayed at the “Clay Gold” exhibition inside Herat’s historic Ikhtiyaruddin Citadel, where artworks and handicrafts produced by Afghan women are showcased, including calligraphy, pottery, and traditional crafts.

Durrani, who began handwriting the Quran at the age of fifteen, learned calligraphy from renowned artist Mir Wali Ahmad. She says Herat has a deep history in Islamic calligraphy, particularly from the Timurid era.

Beyond her own work, Durrani is training more than twenty women in calligraphy and ornamentation. Some of her students have reached advanced levels and taken part in exhibitions abroad, including in Saudi Arabia.

The exhibition also features Afghan women’s handmade products, some of which are exported to Europe, the United States, and other international markets.