The results of the 13th International Calligraphy Competition in the Name of M. Abdulaziz al-RifāꜤī (1289-1353 H/1872-1934 AD) were announced at a ceremony held at IRCICA’s headquarters on 27 May 2025. On the same occasion, certificates of ijaza were delivered to calligraphers graduating from IRCICA’s training programs.
The ceremony, opened by the Director General of IRCICA Prof. Dr. Mahmud Erol Kılıç, was held in the presence of the Governor of Istanbul Mr. Davut Gül, together with District Governor of Fatih Mr. Cafer Sarılı, the Director of Culture in Istanbul/ Head of Türkiye Manuscript Works Institution Dr. Coşkun Yılmaz, and Mrs. Meryem Dalgıç, Head of the Turkish-Islamic Arts Department at the Presidency of Religious Affairs. The ceremony welcomed the Vice Consul General of the Republic of The Sudan in Istanbul H.E. Mr. Osman Elsheikh Hassan Abou; the Qatari delegation chaired by H.E. Dr. Salih Ali Al-Marri, Director of the Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayd Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center representing the Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of the State of Qatar H.E. Mr. Ghanem bin Shaheen bin Ghanem Al Ghanim, accompanied by Mr. Ali Hamad Al-Mohanna, Assistant Director, General Administration of Endowments and the Master Calligrapher Dr. Obaida Saleh Al-Banki; Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, ex-Secretary General of OIC (2005-2014) and ex-member of the Turkish Parliament (2015-2018). Guests at the ceremony also included eminent artists. IRCICA Director General Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç gave opening remarks, stressing that the triennial calligraphy competition is one of the most important activities of IRCICA which has acquired a deep-rooted tradition and promoted generations of calligraphers. Director General Kılıç invited to the floor Prof. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, ex-Secretary General of OIC, who was the initiator of the IRCICA International Calligraphy Competition program in the 1980s. Prof. Ihsanoğlu lauded the progress achieved in the program; he said that the name of IRCICA has been closely associated with the art of calligraphy and vice versa. Certificates of gratitude were presented to the members of the competition jury. The winners of the first three prizes and the three mentions in each script category were announced. 511 participants from 38 countries participated in the competition with 640 works (on the list of winners, the jury, script categories covered, etc.: https://arts.ircica.org).
The ceremony continued with the presentation of ijaza certificates to students who completed IRCICA’s online training courses as of 2025. 19 calligraphers from 9 countries (Bahrain, Canada, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye) were given certificates by eminent masters of this art. At the end of the ceremony, the guests were invited to see the award-winning works displayed in the library building.
