Diwani script is a cursive style of Arabic calligraphy developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks (16th and early 17th centuries). It was invented by Housam Roumi and reached its height of popularity under Suleyman the Magnificent (1520 - 66). Diwani is distinguished by the complexity of the lines within each letter, the close juxtaposition of letters within a word, and the ensuing difficulty in both reading or writing it.
Diwani is punctuated and decorated to appear as one piece, stressing beauty and harmony. It is still used in the correspondence of kings, princes, and presidents, in ceremonies and on stationery, as it is considered by many across the Islamic world to have a very high artistic value.
