Habibulloh Solih is a skilled calligrapher who has perfected the art of writing in various calligraphic styles like “naskh” used in the copying of the Quran, “tawqe” in writing orders, decrees, and other official documents, and “riq’o” used in writing letters and different styles of calligraphy. Ismail Makhdum Sottiyev and Abdug’afur Razzoqov (Bukhari) were his mentors in calligraphy. Furthermore, his grandfather, Domla Solih Karimov, was among the calligraphers of the Bukhara Emirate.
Habibulloh Solih is a renowned calligrapher who has copied the Uthmanic Quran seven times and is a notable figure in the Islamic world. His collection includes several Quran manuscripts he has personally copied, with some pages decorated with gold.
(Calligraphy, in Arabic, means “the art of beautiful handwriting” and refers to transcribing texts, book copying, and creating books of architectural structures and artistic objects. It emerged as a result of the invention of writing.)
Habibulloh Solih has participated in many international competitions. In 1996, he placed in the top ten at the International Calligraphy Contest in Istanbul. He also took second place at the Second International Calligraphy Festival held in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1999, and received the “Parvin Qalam” award. Habibulloh Solih was awarded the honorary title “Honored Worker of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan” in 2002.
A master calligrapher and scholar, Habibulloh Solih has been a member of the Creative Union of Artists of Uzbekistan since 1998. He was awarded the academy’s silver medal. From 2001 to 2003, he worked at the Kamoliddin Behzod National Institute of Art and Design. He has also worked as a research assistant, teacher, and calligrapher at the Tashkent Islamic University under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In 2017, an opening ceremony and exhibition for the Cultural Days of Uzbekistan were held in Kuwait City.
The exhibition featured various handicrafts and applied arts, including calligraphy, wood carving, miniature painting, engraving, embroidery, atlas, and madras fabrics. Each section of the exhibition, especially the calligraphy and folk art pieces, sparked significant interest among the participants, with Habibulloh Solih writing the first page of the sacred Uthman Mus’haf preserved in Uzbekistan (the Surah Al-Fatiha) in calligraphy as a gift for Ali Hussein Al-Yuha.
Ali Hussein Al-Yuha, the Secretary-General of the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Literature of Kuwait (as a minister), council representatives, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Kuwait, Bahrom A’loyev, and embassy staff attended the event.
Over the years, Habibulloh Solih has dedicatedly restored inscriptions on many of our country’s historical monuments. He continues his relentless pursuit of excellence. “In addition to high skill, knowledge, and experience, a calligrapher must also have patience,” he says. “Today’s youth are more inclined to the virtual world, and it’s rare to find people who don’t get lost in it. Despite this, many still pursue the challenging art of calligraphy.”
