Hilya Calligraphy Exhibition Opens in Montenegro

From the Editor

A Hilye calligraphy exhibition, consists of Mehmet Çebi's private hilye collection, opened in Çetinye, Montenegro on May 16. The exhibition features dozens of pieces of the “Hilye-i Şerif” (a physical description of the Prophet Muhammad in calligraphy).

The term hilya in Arabic (or hilye in Turkish) has two closely related meanings, as detailed in the LastProphet article linked above. Firstly, it denotes a religious genre of Ottoman Turkish literature, dealing with the physical description of the last prophet, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Later hilyes were also written for the first four Caliphs, the companions of Muhammad, and the descendants of the Pophet.

The exhibition will be in the city of Podgorica in Montenegro after June 15.