Hamid Al Amidi ... (1891-1982)

Hamid Al Amidi was born in 1891 in the city of "Diyar-e-Bakr" south Anatolia, Turkey. It was known in the past as the city "Amid". His real name is "Moses Azmi", the renamed as "Hamid Aytash Alamidi" after his village. His father "Thulfikar Agha" was a butcher, his mother was "Muntaha" and his grandfather was "Adam Alamidi", a calligrapher. He studied in the great Mosque named "Ulu" in his village.

He began receiving lessons in calligraphy during the primary and preparatory education by "Mustafa Akif", "Wade Affendi", one of his relatives called "Abdul Salam" and finally apprenticed by "Said Affendi," who was one of imams in the mosques.

The interst of  Hamid in calligraphy made him fail in his first study year. So, his father prevented him from practicing calligraphy. But the incident that made his father go back on his decision is that: "Hamid participated in writing on the school board calligraphy on a cloth presenting words (Yahya Sultan), on the occasion Sultan Abdul Hamed II Accession to the Thorn day. His love to calligraphy pushed  him in this occasion to try writing "Tagra" of Sultan, which prompted officials in "Diyar-e-Bakr" to give Hamid "Golden Lira" as a reward to him for this work. He told his father about the matter. So, he allowed him to continue his practices in calligraphy.

During this study, he imitated the works of the famous calligraphers such as "Hafiz Osman", "Mustafa Rakam" and others.

In 1906, He finished prep school. Then completed his secondary studies in "Rashidiya military school" in "Diyar-e-Bakr". After that, he moved in 1908 to study law in Istanbul, where he spent one year in the "School of Law". Then moved to " Alsanaya Alnafisa" school.

During his study in the "Rashidiya military" school, he learn "Thulth" calligraphy at the hands of  "Ahmed Helmi Bik" and "Ruqaa" at the hands of  "Waheed Affendi".

During his military study, he also imitated a map in his school Atlas accurately. So, his teacher deposited it in the museum of the school showing as a reminder of the owner.

After his father's death, he could not complete his study. This, in fact, pushed him to be looking for livelihood.

He worked as a teacher of calligraphy and painting at the school "Kalash Marif" at the age between 17-18 years. Then, he worked as a calligrapher in "Dar Al Tabaa", and after that in the "Common Military Staff Printer" located in the "Beyazid" district in Istanbul where he associated with the   calligrapher "Amin Affendi".

Later on, he traveled to Germany where he stayed for one year studying map designing and worked in the Thunder Forces in the German army during the First World War.

Upon his return to Istanbul, he learnt "Naskh", "Thulth", "Jali Thulth" at the hands of "Nazeef Bik", the death of the teacher in 1913 after several lessons prevented him to pursue his learning more lessons.

Sometime later, he completed learning "Thulth" and "Naskh" at the hands of the Prime of calligraphers "Ahmed Kamel" who bestowed him a certificate (Ejazah).

After that, he learnt writing "Tagra" by "Ismail Hakki Bik" and "Nastaliq" by "Khulusi Affendi."

During this period he started writing the tablet by using a pen name "Hamid". For that reason, he was prevented to continue his work. So, he abandoned his official job in 1920, rented a small shop for working in calligraphy and drilling on metals in the neighborhood, "Jaffal oglu", and adapted again a new pen name "Calligrapher  Hamid Yasi Oe". And then, he replaced calligrapher "Arif  Hikmat Bik" in his job after his death in a government circle. Soon, he left the work and moved to a new place in "Al Bab Al Alie" street in Istanbul to work in drilling on metals, calligraphy and gilding the Holy Quran.

However, the works which he did in the last years of his life did not represent the real position reached in this field.

His best works during his golden years were done between 1923-1965 which were spread all over  the world.

His calligraphy work embodied all kinds of Arab calligraphic types, but he was greatly famous in "Jali Thulth".

Hamid Al Amidi has many writings on the domes and walls of mosques which can be seen in Turkey as a legacy of some of his calligraphy for verses of the  Holy Quran, such as: "Ayoub Mosque", "Paschbahchi Mosque", "Haji Koushk Mosque" in Istanbul, the dome of "Cokhateb Mosque" in Ankara and many other mosques in Istanbul and Densley and "Shana Kalaa".

He also wrote more than 40th Prophet Hadith, many of calligraphic books which educate calligraphy, thousands of various Islamic literature and exaltation and others.

The master piece of his production was when he copied the Holy Quran twice in a beautiful Nsekh type. It has been reprinted recently in Istanbul and  Berlin. This copy is one of the masterpieces of the Holy Quran, which was printed in the world.

The calligrapher Hamid Alamdi is considered genius in calligraphy art. He has been described as an extension of the three pioneers who wrote in the history of writing: "Ibn Mukla", "Yakout Almstasme" and  "Ibn Al Bawab". He was the owner of the best three of "Tagra" calligraphy, namely: "Tagra" King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, "Tagra" Sultan Abdul Hamid II - Sultan Ottoman state, "Tagra" Emperor Shah Mohammad Reda Pahlawi of Iran.

Perhaps the most prominent of his works is "Sourah Al-Fatihah" which he imitated the calligrapher "Mustafa Rakam", as he spent a full six months to finish writing it and eventually became a sign in the world of beauty.

Our comfort is inspired of his students who have inherited his secrets of Arabic calligraphy, such as: "Halim Hassan Chalabi", "Mustafa Haleem Afendi", "Badawi Derani", "Khusro Sobashi", "Husain Qotlo", "Hamed Fatih", "Ayenge Bish Oglu", "Hashem Al-Baghdadi", "Yousuf Zanoon", "Osman Taha" , "Mohamed Saleh Moussalli", "Ali Ravi", "Marwan-ul-Harb", "Salahuddin Sherzad" and many others.

Many students from various parts of Islamic world have been graduated at his hands. He issued certificates for many of them like, "Hashem Al-Baghdadi" who was given his certificate (Ejaza) twice in: 1950 and in 1952. He also issued caertificates to "Osman Taha" and Mohamed "Saleh Moussalli"  and many others.

Hamid has spent his life in calligraphy field and did not drop the pen away from his hand until one year before his death, as he died on Wednesday, 18th May, 1982.

He was buried at the "Korga Ahmed" graveyard according to his will in "Kreigh Ahmed" to next of  Grand Calligraphers "Hamad Allah Al Amasi Afandi"