ISLAMIC CALLIGRAPHY IN WEST AFRICA THE QUR'ANS OF NORTHERN NIGERIA Dr. Muhammad Sani Zahradeen * Calligraphy as the art of beautiful or decorative writing has existed in Islam since the time when the word of God, the Qur'an, began to be written. An art historian has remarked that "in Islam, the importance of fine writing is overwhelming, as an act form per se and as a means of multi-media decoration" (1). In West Africa which was known to the ancient Muslim world as Bi/ad-al-Sudan, Islamic calligraphy naturally came with Islam. Since the ten th century A.D. Islam took roots in Africa and became an indigenous religion and a way of life. Long before the Portuguese voyages around the West African coast the northern savannah region has been Islamised and was regarded by the early European travellers as the most civilised part of black Africa. Developments in commerce, architecture, education, administration and even agriculture were noticed by those who traversed the lands. The vehicle of all these de- velopments was, for the most part, the religion and culture of Islam. The three greatest Sudanic States in the medieval pe- riod, namely Ghana, Mali and Song hay were tremendously influenced by Islam. Large and cosmopolitan centres sprang up at Gao, Timbuktu and Jenne. The rulers of these states tra- velled on pilgrimage to the near East and the holy places. They developed diplomatic relations with other Muslim statesmen. They strengthened trade and intellectual ties with their Muslim brothers. The Emperor of Mali Mansa Musa (r. 1307-32) was reported to have gone on pilgrimage in 1324 bringing back with him an Andalusian architect Abu lshaq a/-Sahili who built palaces and mosques for him at Gao and Timbuktu. Most impor- tant was the fact that Mansa Musa established Egyptian scholars who taught at these towns. In 1495 another celebrated ruler of Songhay Muhammad Ture (r. 1493-1578) who took the title of Askia went on pilgrimage. He took with him some of the scho- lars of his empire in order to widen their scope and under- standing of Islam. On his return both Gao and Timbuktu became major centres of Islamic scholarship in Africa. This flowering culture of Mali and Songhay spread all over the savannah region of West Africa down south in what is now * De partment of Isl a mic Studies, Ba yero University, Ka no, Ni ge ria. 505