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Ministry of Culture to Establish Calligraphy School at Bayt al-Suhaymi

In a bid to revive the tradition of calligraphy, the Ministry of Culture is offering two-year scholarships at the Khudair Al Borsaidi School for Arabic Calligraphy in Historic Cairo’s Bayt al-Suhaymi.

Menna Shanab

Ministry of Culture to Establish Calligraphy School at Bayt al-Suhaymi

Due to the rise of technology coupled with the demands of the labor market for other languages, the number of Arabic calligraphy schools in Egypt has been on a dramatic decline over the past decade. Now, in a bid to revive this sacred tradition, the Ministry of Culture has opened the Khudair Al Borsaidi School for Arabic Calligraphy in Historic Cairo’s Bayt al-Suhaymi.


Named after Al Borsaidi, also known as ‘Sheikh of Egyptian Calligraphers’, the school aims to preserve one of the facets of Egypt’s identity by creating new generations of calligraphers, with the Ministry of Culture offering free two-year scholarships. Students will be taught how to replicate a number of fonts including Al-Diwani and Al-Hurr, with classes taking place three days a week. Once their studies are complete, students will be awarded a certificate of attendance at a graduation ceremony and have their works presented in a special exhibition.


To apply, applicants must be Egyptian and have at minimum a certificate of completion of preparatory studies. Students will be selected following a series of tests and interviews, before starting their schooling in January 2022.


Interested applicants should fill out the registration form on the Cultural Development Fund’s website at https://www.cdf.gov.eg/?q=node/15566. If you prefer a hand-written version, you can pass by Bayt al-Suhaymi to pick up a registration form any time until December 16th, 2021.