Ali: Did you mean...?

Shiite calligraphy depicting Caliph Ali (r. 656-661 CE) as the Lion of God.

Facade of the Meshed Ali, Najaf, Iraq. Photo taken in 2003 by U.S. Navy Photographer's Mate 1st Class Arlo K. Abrahamson.

Gold dinar of Mamluk sultan al-Mansur Ali minted in Cairo in 1258/59 CE.

The minaret of the Ali Mosque Manar, Isfahan, Iran (1118-1157 CE). Erected during the reign of Seljuk sultan Sanjar (118-1157 CE). Decorated by two balconies. The shaft below the balconies embellished with interlocking stars in recess, altering...

A folio from an album of the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) which includes calligraphy by Mir 'Ali. Ink with opaque watercolour and gold on paper, 16th century, Bukhara. The illumination is by Daulat, c.1610 – 20, Mughal; borders...

Caliphate (“Khilafat” in Arabic) was a semi-religious political system of governance in Islam, in which the territories of the Islamic empire in the Middle East and North Africa and the people within were ruled by a supreme leader called...

The minaret of the Ali Mosque, Isfahan, Iran. Erected during the reign of Seljuk sultan Sanjar (118-1157 CE). Decorated by two balconies. The shaft below the balconies embellished with interlocking stars in recess, altering to a diamond pattern...

An 18th-century engraving by James Gilray of Haidar Ali, ruler of the southern Indian kingdom of Mysore from 1761 to 1782. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

Nasta 'liq is one of the styles of Islamic calligraphy that was developed on Persian grounds by Persian calligraphers. The art of calligraphy has always held a prominent position in Persia, and its usage extends beyond the limits of the pages...

The Songhai Empire (aka Songhay, c. 1460 - c. 1591) covered what is today southern Mauritania and Mali. It replaced the Mali Empire (1240-1645) as the most important state in West Africa. Originating as a smaller kingdom along the eastern...