STORY: Iraqi calligrapher dedicated to preserving art of calligraphy
DATELINE: June 28, 2023
LENGTH: 0:03:24
LOCATION: ERBIL, Iraq
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Ali Al-Wani practicing calligraphy
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): ALI AL-WANI, Calligrapher
3. various of Ali Al-Wani practicing calligraphy

STORYLINE:

An Iraqi calligrapher, Ali Al-Wani, has been striving for years to preserve the art of calligraphy from disappearance and revive it by teaching the younger generation calligraphy, including Arabic calligraphy and Persian calligraphy.

In his studio inside the Cihan University Cultural House in the historic Erbil Citadel, he practices calligraphy for several hours daily and draws artistic paintings of letters using ink and reed pens.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic): ALI AL-WANI, Calligrapher
"It is true that technology has served many other arts, but it has had a direct and negative impact on calligraphy. As a calligraphy artist, I am trying to revive this art. Therefore, I opened this studio in the Cihan University Cultural House in order to practice this profession and start teaching it to those wishing to learn, especially teaching it to students, because the biggest problem students face in the world, not just the Arab world, is writing calligraphy with pens."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Erbil, Iraq.
(XHTV)