ArtDayMe : The Grande Mosquée de Paris is celebrating its centenary in 2026; an anniversary that its organizers have turned not simply into an occasion to commemorate the history of a historic building, but into a broad cultural program encompassing art, culture and literature.

One of the major events of the centenary year was the first International Arabic Calligraphy Competition of the Grande Mosquée de Paris, titled “Nûn,” whose awards ceremony was held on 19 September 2026.

The Grande Mosquée de Paris announced that calligraphers from 32 countries participated in the competition, with 30 artists ultimately selected as laureates across six calligraphic styles.

 

_“Nûn”: A Competition Named for the Pen and Writing

The title of the competition is taken from the letter “Nûn” at the beginning of Surat Al-Qalam: “Nûn. By the pen and what they write.”

The competition was designed to support artists, preserve the classical traditions of calligraphy, and create cultural dialogue through the art form. The official competition regulations also emphasize that the aim of “Nûn” is to encourage, value and transmit the heritage of Islamic arts, particularly classical Arabic calligraphy.

Participants were allowed to compete in only one style, and works had to be submitted without a name, signature or any other identifying mark that could reveal the artist’s identity. The use of ornamentation and illumination on the work was also prohibited.

Six Styles: From Thuluth to Nasta‘liq

The competition was held in six styles: Thuluth, Naskh, Nasta‘liq/Ta‘liq, Diwani, Kufi and Maghribi.

The official competition guidelines also specified the paper dimensions and the permitted range of pen thickness for each style. For example, Thuluth and Kufi works were to be submitted at 70 × 50 centimeters, while Naskh, Nasta‘liq, Diwani and Maghribi works were submitted in smaller formats.

 

30 Laureates: The Complete List

In each of the six styles, one first, one second and one third prize were designated. However, in several cases, the jury placed two works ex æquo in second or third place. As a result, the final number of laureates reached 30. The following list is based on the official winners’ document published by the Grande Mosquée de Paris.

1. Kufi | Kufi

First Prize • Reema Aldakheel — Saudi Arabia

Second Prize, ex æquo • Yasir Karar — Iraq • Chaima Tliba — Tunisia

Third Prize, ex æquo • Djamel Fenineche — Algeria • Mohammed Sabri — Morocco

 

2. Maghribi | Maghribi

First Prize • Selma Ben Ammar — Tunisia

Second Prize, ex æquo • Khadija Daoudi — Morocco • Abdullah Ait Tadrart — Morocco

Third Prize, ex æquo • Najah Safinatun — Indonesia • Saad Benserhir — France

 

3. Diwani | Diwani

First Prize • Jakfar Muhammad — Indonesia

Second Prize, ex æquo • Abdulrazzak Mahmod — United Arab Emirates • Abdessamad Mihfad — Morocco

Third Prize, ex æquo • Juan Ma — China • Khawla Belaib — Algeria

 

4. Nasta‘liq | Nasta‘liq

First Prize • Seyed Majid Moosavi Moghadam — Iran

Second Prize, ex æquo • Yaghoubi Kiarash — Iran • Hossein Eghbali — Azerbaijan

Third Prize, ex æquo • Mohammad Keshtkar — Oman • Hasan Akbar Fatkhullah — Indonesia

 

5. Naskh | Naskh

First Prize • Ihab Ibrahim Tabet — Palestine

Second Prize, ex æquo • Saïd Bin Abdullah — Algeria • Jamalulael Idrus — Indonesia

Third Prize, ex æquo • Hafizul Abqari — Malaysia • Abderlrahman Mohamed Morsi — Egypt

 

6. Thuluth | Thuluth

First Prize • Namazireihanloo Ahmadali — Türkiye

Second Prize, ex æquo • Rahim Yaz — Pakistan • Mohamed Ayache — Algeria

Third Prize, ex æquo • Mohamed Ezat — Egypt • Huda Purnawadi — Indonesia

 

The Geographic Composition of the Laureates

The final list demonstrates the considerable geographical reach of the “Nûn” competition. Among the 30 laureates are artists from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Iraq, Morocco, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, France, China, Azerbaijan, Oman, Palestine, Malaysia, Egypt, Türkiye and Pakistan.

Indonesia has a particularly visible presence in the final list, with laureates across several styles, including Diwani, Maghribi, Nasta‘liq, Naskh and Thuluth. Morocco and Algeria have also secured places across multiple styles.

 

Who Were the Competition’s Jury Members?

According to the official competition information, the jury for the inaugural edition comprised:

• Dr. Amor Jamni, President of the Jury and calligrapher

• Munib Obradovic, professional calligrapher

• Abdelkader Boumala, professional calligrapher

• Rany Rouabah, calligrapher and student of Ghani Alani and Ali Towhidi Tabari

• Hamda Yacoub, calligrapher and student of Ghani Alani

• Ali Towhidi Tabari, calligrapher

• Nizam Baboorally, calligrapher

The official Grande Mosquée de Paris program confirms these seven names as members of the competition jury; Ali Towhidi Tabari was missing from the original version of your text.

Judging Criteria: Discipline of the Script Before Beauty

The competition regulations emphasize that the works were evaluated according to the classical rules of calligraphy. Errors that altered the meaning of the text, spelling mistakes, and failure to comply with the competition regulations could result in the rejection of a work. Participants were also advised to carefully verify the text of the Qur’anic verses and their diacritical markings.

This point is important in understanding the nature of the competition: “Nûn” was not simply an aesthetic competition, but one that placed particular emphasis on technical skill, precision, proportion and fidelity to traditional calligraphic rules.

Why Calligraphy for the Centenary of the Grande Mosquée de Paris?

The Grande Mosquée de Paris was inaugurated on 15 July 1926 and, a century later, is marking its anniversary with a program focused particularly on art and culture. The mosque itself announced that the calligraphy competition would be one of the major cultural events of its centenary year.

From this perspective, the choice of calligraphy for one of the principal events of the centenary is significant. The mosque’s architecture, gardens, zellij and decorative elements have been connected from the outset with the artistic traditions of the Islamic world. With “Nûn,” the spotlight this time turned to the script and the pen themselves.

From Paris to the Global Geography of Calligraphy

The first edition of “Nûn” offers a diverse picture of the geography of calligraphy today; from Iran and Türkiye and the Arab countries of North Africa to Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, China and Azerbaijan.

This diversity becomes particularly significant when viewed alongside the selection of six distinct calligraphic styles. Kufi represents one of the oldest traditions of Islamic script; Thuluth and Naskh occupy fundamental positions in written and Qur’anic traditions; Diwani is associated with the Ottoman tradition; Maghribi belongs to the writing traditions of the Maghreb and the western Islamic world; while Nasta‘liq is one of the most important legacies of Iranian and Persian calligraphy.

The “Nûn” competition is therefore more than a list of winners; it offers a portrait of a multi-centered artistic heritage that continues to be produced, taught and reinvented across different countries in the twenty-first century.

A Century After Its Inauguration: The Grande Mosquée de Paris and a New Cultural Narrative

For its centenary, the Grande Mosquée de Paris has planned a series of cultural programs, from the international calligraphy competition to literary and exhibition programs, as well as its first short-film festival, announced for December 2026.

Among these initiatives, “Nûn” may be one of the clearest signs of the institution’s effort to connect Islamic heritage with the contemporary cultural landscape of Europe.

A century after the inauguration of the Grande Mosquée de Paris, the pen has once again taken center stage within the building; this time not simply for writing, but for an international competition that brought together 30 calligraphers from different parts of the world across six distinct traditions.

And perhaps this is the central image of the competition: in a city that is one of the world’s most important centers of modern and contemporary art, the pen and ink can still shape an international cultural event.