One of the most significant aspects of the Arabic script is its
adaptability. It can be altered to accommodate any surface or
scale and still maintain its visual integrity. Written from
right to left, its twentyeight letters are also used with some
minor changes for Persian, Urdu, and Ottoman Turkish among other
languages. The letters are made of seventeen basic forms that
consist of simple vertical and horizontal strokes. These are
modified with a series of dots above and below. Four of the
letters serve as long vowels, while short vowels appear as
diacritical marks. The letters are usually linked together and
have different configurations depending on whether they appear
at the beginning, the middle, or the end of a word. Certain
letters can only be linked to the one preceeding them. (This is
the end of the Calligraphy section) Back to the Introduction The
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