Hâfiz Osman

Hâfiz Osman (1642–1698), born in Istanbul, was one of the most celebrated Ottoman calligraphers. Trained in the tradition of Şeyh Hamdullah, he belonged to the Sünbüliye dervish order.

He revitalised Ottoman calligraphic scripts and created the classical layout for the hilye, a calligraphic depiction of the Prophet based on the hadith, which became the empire-wide standard. He taught penmanship to the future sultans Mustafa II and Ahmed III. His Qur'ans and hilyes survive in the Topkapı Palace collections, and he died in Istanbul on 3 December 1698.