Hâfız Osman

Hâfız b. Ali, better known as Hâfız Osman (Hāfız ʿUthmān), was a native of Istanbul and the second great innovator in Ottoman calligraphy, after Shaykh Hamdullâh (d. 1520). He studied with Derviş Ali and then with Suyolcu-zâde Mustafâ Efendi, known as Eyyûbî. He was the teacher of Sultan Mustafa III (r. 1757–1774) and had many other students, most notably, Yedikuleli Seyyid Abdullâh Efendi (1670–1731). Hâfız Osman is known to have recorded the location of his daily calligraphic exercises, particularly during his pilgrimage to Mecca. He was a prolific calligrapher and many of his works are found in museums and private collections worldwide. He invented the now widespread form of the word-portrait of the Prophet, known as hilye (ḥilyah). He copied the Qur'an many times, and several of his manuscripts were reproduced, first lithographically and then by offset printing.