Türkiye is renowned as one of the key hubs of Islamic traditional arts. Since the Ottoman era, artisans have held a significant place in society, leaving their mark on architecture and culture. Classically trained artists dedicate years to honing their craft under the tutelage of master craftsmen. This type of mentorship ensures the preservation and passing of knowledge and skills from generation to generation.
At Scripts ‘n’ Scribes, our mission is to connect students with these master artisans, offering an opportunity to continue this rich tradition.
The teachers in our Istanbul Art Immersion Program 2025 are all highly experienced, classically trained Turkish artists who have devoted many years to mastering and practicing their craft.
Deniz Öktem Bektaş
Deniz Öktem Bektaş began calligraphy training in riq’a and naskh scripts with American master calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya while studying at Georgetown University. After returning to Turkey in 2002, she continued studying riq’a, naskh, and thuluth scripts under masters Hasan Çelebi and Davut Bektaş, earning her ijaza in naskh and thuluth in 2007.
She received encouragement awards for naskh at the 7th International Calligraphy Competition organized by IRCICA in 2007 and at the Calligraphy Biennial in Sharjah in 2008. In 2015, she won third prize in a national calligraphy competition conducted by the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey for her work on several pages from the Qur’an in naskh.
Osman Ömer Doruk
Osman Ömer Doruk is a master bookbinder and restorer based in Istanbul. He is recognized as one of the last classical artists in this craft, trained in the Ottoman tradition. His work also involves collaborating with prominent rare book collectors both domestically and internationally, while continuing to pursue style, technique, and materials in Turkish bookbinding.
A few years ago, a local organization interviewed him at his studio where he discussed his work and demonstrated a few steps of bookbinding. You can watch it here: The Last Bookbinder.
Ahsen Kurlu
Ahsen comes from a distinguished artistic family, with her father being a master calligrapher and her mother an accomplished tezhip (illumination) artist. Ahsen studied illumination for many years and has been teaching it for nearly two years. Ahsen has exhibited her work both locally and internationally and has received awards and recognition for her work. She continues her artistic endeavors in her family’s atelier in Istanbul.