Qatar 365 explores the endless world of literature, from inspiring children to read and spend more time in libraries to learning Arabic calligraphy.
In this episode, the Qatar 365 team discovers how the country is encouraging young and old to make reading a part of their lives and explore the art of calligraphy. Aadel Haleem, Laila Humairah and Johanna Hoes visited the National Library of Qatar, Liwan Design Studios, the Museum of Islamic Art and public mosques to discover how literature is used as a form of expression.
Laila Humairah visited the National Library of Qatar, which regularly organizes activities aimed at instilling the habit of reading in children. It recently adopted an official mascot, Ramly, a character inspired by the Arabian desert fox. Ebrahim Al-Bishri, Senior Librarian at the BNQ, explained to Laila that Ramly was created to instill in Qatari children the same spirit of curiosity and adventure as the animal.
Aadel Haleem met Sheikha Reem Al Thani of Qatar Museums at Liwan Design Studios in Msheireb. This was once the office of Amna Mahmoud Al Jaidah, founder and principal of Qatar’s first-ever girls’ school. Sheikha Reem showed Aadel an exhibition of archival documents dating back to 1938 and how they are being used to highlight the impact of the school on generations of Qatari women.
Finally, Johanna Hoes tried her hand at Arabic calligraphy at the Museum of Islamic Art, where she discovered the complexity of the task. A combination of the Greek words “kallos” and “grafo,” calligraphy literally means “beautiful writing.” The art form dates back thousands of years, but is still taught in classrooms today. The elegant strokes of the Arabic language also play a central role in architecture and design, as evidenced in the facades and interiors of mosques across the country.
