Istanbul Alive Magazine April 2014 ISTANBUL ALIVE APRIL 2014 | Page 17

and moving it from right to left
results in a thick line. Sometimes the
calligrapher turns the pen in his hand
to produce different aesthetic effects.
Since the size of the characters is
measured in points, and the size of a
point depends on the width of the
nib, the pen is the most vital element
of aesthetic quality in calligraphy.
Pens are sometimes kept in cases
containing an inkwell at one end
known as divit, and sometimes in

cylindrical or rectangular boxes
known as kalemdan, which may be
plain or decorative. The cylindrical
type of kalemdan is known as a
kubur. Small protective covers were
used to prevent the pen nibs from
becoming damaged or worn when
not in use. The pen is mentioned in
the first verses of the Koran to be
revealed, and surah LXVIII is entitled
The Pen. Both this fact and the
benefit to humanity of this

instrument meant that it was treated
with reverence, and even when a pen
had been sharpened so often that it
was too small to use, it was not
thrown away at random, but either
tossed onto a rooftop or buried in a
spot where people were not likely to
tread. The chips produced while
sharpening the nib were treated with
similar respect, and when a certain
amount had accumulated were
buried in an out-of-the-way place.
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