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Mustafa Halim Özyazıcı
Mustafa Halim Özyazıcı (1898–1964) was a legendary master calligrapher born in Istanbul who successfully bridged the traditional Ottoman and modern Republican eras. Classically trained at the prestigious Medresetü’l-hattatîn (School of Calligraphers) under legendary masters like Hâmid Aytaç and Kâmil Akdik, he mastered multiple scripts including sülüs, nesih, celî sülüs, and ta’lik. He served in key official positions, including the Office of the Imperial Council (Dîvân-ı Hümâyûn) and the State Printing House, until the Alphabet Reform forced him to pivot; during a period of quiet retirement, he famously signed his pieces with the humble ketebe: “Written by Halim, formerly a calligrapher, currently a gardener.” His profound expertise eventually led him back to public life in the 1940s, where he was commissioned to restore the monumental inscriptions on historical structures across Istanbul and joined the faculty of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1948. He passed away in 1964 following a traffic accident and is buried in Istanbul’s Kozlu Cemetery, leaving behind an enduring legacy as one of the 20th century’s greatest masters of classical Islamic calligraphy.


