Algerian Quran Calligrapher Sheikh Ali Qassimi Dies at 90
Qassimi died at the age of 90 on Sunday in the city of Oran, northwest of Algeria, An-Nahar news website reported.
Born in 1933 in the North African country’s Mascara Province, Qassimi managed to learn the entire Quran by heart at the age of 14.
He then learned calligraphy, especially the Maghrebi style, in addition to studying Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Arabic literature.
After the victory of Algeria’s revolution, he established a school in Oran where he taught the Arabic language, which was an important step in maintaining people’s bonds with their Islamic heritage and tradition after years of attempts by French colonizers to undermine the Arabic language.
During his lifetime, Sheikh Ali al-Qassimi calligraphed four Qurans in the Warsh narration.
He also had many other works featuring calligraphy of Quranic verses.
Qassimi had been praised and awarded in many national and international events for his calligraphy works.
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