Ahmed Fares Al-Omari

  • Born in 1985 in Al-A’zamiyah, Baghdad.
  • He began learning the art of Arabic calligraphy at a young age. In 1995, he studied under the guidance of the late Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid Al-Samarra’i in Samarra, who taught him the principles of Arabic calligraphy according to the book “Qawaid al-Khatt al-Arabi” by the renowned calligrapher Hashem Mohammed Al-Baghdadi, in various styles such as Ruq’ah, Diwani, and Diwani Jali. After four years, his teacher Abdul Aziz Al-Samarra’i advised him to go to Baghdad to further his studies in calligraphy.

 

  • He moved to Baghdad and began studying under the guidance of Abbas Al-Baghdadi. He studied Thuluth and Naskh scripts with him until 2003, after which his teacher Abbas Al-Baghdadi left Iraq. He continued to study calligraphy on his own, following the works of great calligraphers. At the age of 18, he moved to Aleppo, Syria, in 2006. He obtained a license in Arabic calligraphy from Abbas Al-Baghdadi in 2007 when he was 22 years old. He then traveled to Istanbul and explored the great works of the ancient masters. He studied and benefited from renowned teachers in Istanbul such as Dawood Baktash and Farhad Gurlo in Thuluth and Naskh scripts.

 

  • In 2010, he obtained a license in the art of Arabic calligraphy from the esteemed Iraqi calligrapher Sheikh of Calligraphers Hajj Mahdi Al-Jubouri, who was authorized by the great calligrapher Hamed Al-Ammadi, may he rest in peace.

 

Positions and Roles:

  • Founder and Director of the Arabic Calligraphy Portal since 2008.
  • Founder and Director of the School of Calligraphers Center and Institute for teaching and educating Arabic and Islamic arts in Istanbul. The center offers continuous courses and workshops to teach and promote Arabic and Islamic arts.
  • Founder and Director of ALOMARI Publishing, Distribution, and Printing Company for artistic books.
  • Member of the Iraqi Cultural Center for Arabic Calligraphy and Ornamentation, General Headquarters in Baghdad.
  • Member of the Iraqi Calligraphers Association, General Headquarters in Baghdad.

 

Honors and Recognitions:

  • Honored by the Turkish Ministry of Culture in 2019.
  • Awarded in the Arsika (Badawi Al-Dirani) Competition in Diwani script in 2010.
  • Second place in the Diwani Calligraphy category at the International Zarqa Festival in Jordan in 2010.

 

 

 

Participations:

  • Dar Al-Salam Festival, 2000, and Al-Kawthar Exhibition in Baghdad, 2001.
  • Youth Exhibition in Baghdad, 2001.
  • Iraqi Calligraphers Association Exhibition, 2002.
  • Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Lahore, Pakistan, 2006.
  • Arab Heritage Exhibition in Aleppo, Syria, 2006.
  • Second Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Hama, 2007.
  • Silk Road Festival in Aleppo, 2007.
  • Exhibition and Workshop in Palmyra, 2007.
  • Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Aleppo, 2007.
  • Calligraphy Exhibition in Gaziantep, Turkey, 2007.
  • International East Meeting for Arabic Calligraphy, 2008.
  • Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Idlib, Syria, 2008.
  • Damascus International Meeting, 2008.
  • First Doha International Festival of Arabic Calligraphy, 2010.
  • Sharjah International Calligraphy Biennial and Meeting, 2010.
  • Algiers Meeting on the occasion of Tlemcen being the Capital of Islamic Culture, 2011.
  • Meeting of Famous Calligraphers of the Holy Qur’an in Madinah, 2011.
  • Sharif Halifa Exhibition at Istanbul Municipality Hall, 2011.
  • Arabic Calligraphy and Ornamentation Exhibition in Beirut, Lebanon, accompanying the Seventh Arabic Language Conference, 2012.
  • Sharjah International Calligraphy Biennial and Meeting, 2012.
  • Hagia Sophia Exhibition in Istanbul, inside the Hagia Sophia Mosque, 2012.
  • Pioneers Honor Festival in Baghdad, 2012.
  • Ishq al-Nabi Festival in Istanbul, 2013.
  • Sharjah International Calligraphy Biennial and Meeting, 2014.
  • Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in support of International Orphans Day, 2015.
  • Sharjah International Calligraphy Biennial and Meeting, 2016.
  • Personal Exhibition of Contemporary and Innovative Jewelry Designs in Sharjah, 2018.
  • Istanbul Meeting and Biennial for Islamic Arts in Hagia Sophia, 2018.
  • Calligraphy and Artistic Panel Making Workshop in Sharjah, 2018.
  • Personal Exhibition of Paintings and Personal Collections in Sharjah, 2019.
  • Istanbul Exhibition and Biennial in Sulaymaniyah, 2022.