Hasan Celebi, ‘Master of Calligraphers,’ passes away at 88 in Istanbul

Hasan Celebi, renowned as the “Master of Calligraphers,” who left his artistic mark on countless mosques worldwide, passed away at the age of 88 in Istanbul. Celebi had been receiving treatment for health issues before his passing.

Born in 1937 in Erzurum, eastern Türkiye, Celebi devoted his life to calligraphy—an age-old Islamic tradition of beautiful and expressive handwriting—and was hailed by The Washington Post as “one of the most celebrated masters of classical Ottoman calligraphy style.”

Most recently, he inscribed the calligraphy for Istanbul’s Grand Camlica Mosque and the Sri Sendayan Mosque in Malaysia.

One of his former students, Mohammed Zakariya, is an American master calligrapher who teaches and delivers lectures both in the U.S. and the Middle East.

‘Precious gift to our civilization’

Celebi’s passing was announced on social media by former Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, who wrote: “Our master Hasan Celebi has departed for the eternal realm. Each of his works was a precious gift to our civilization.”

He added that Celebi was the recipient of the Necip Fazil Honor Award and Türkiye’s Presidential Grand Award for Culture and Arts.

In a post on X, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his sorrow over Celebi’s passing and offered his condolences to the family, relatives and students of the “Master of Calligraphers.”

Hat sanatının büyük ustalarından, ömrünü Kur’an-ı Kerim’i gönüllere nakşetmeye adayan, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Kültür ve Sanat Büyük Ödülü sahibi Hasan Çelebi Beyefendi’nin vefatından büyük üzüntü duydum.

Hattatların Reisi merhum Hasan Çelebi’ye Allah’tan rahmet; ailesine, sevenlerine,…

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) February 24, 2025

‘Living human treasure!

Culture and Tourism Ministry also wrote on X: “Celebi left his mark on mosques across the world with his exquisite calligraphy. From Sultanahmet (Istanbul’s Blue Mosque) to the Grand Camlica Mosque, from Malaysia’s Sri Sendayan Mosque to many other masterpieces, his signature adorned sacred spaces. Beyond his own works, he passed his art down through generations by training numerous students.”

“In 2010, we honored him as a Living Human Treasure,” the message added.

Serkan Kayalar, head of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, also wrote: “The elegance of our civilization and spirituality was reflected in both his art and his character. His inscription of the Islamic Declaration of Faith now rests in Sisak Mosque in Croatia.”

Dünyanın dört bir yanında camilere nakşettiği hat sanatıyla iz bırakan, "Hattatların Reisi" kabul edilen Hasan Çelebi’yi kaybetmenin derin üzüntüsünü yaşıyoruz.

Sultanahmet’ten Büyük Çamlıca Camii’ne, Malezya’daki Sri Sendayan Camii’ne kadar birçok eserde imzası bulunan Çelebi,… pic.twitter.com/azsA0oAowz

— T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı (@TCKulturTurizm) February 24, 2025

Expertise beyond Türkiye

Celebi trained with the prominent calligraphers of his era, Hamid Aytac and Kemal Batanay.

His expertise extended beyond Türkiye as his mosque inscriptions, exclusive calligraphy collections, and exhibitions gained international renown.

With nearly 100 students worldwide who earned their certification, Celebi became the most influential calligraphy master after Hamid Aytac, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the art of Islamic calligraphy.