Author: Umut Zeren
Affiliation: Department of History, Boğaziçi University
Published by: Lectern Journal
Edited by: Elif Sustam
Copyright: © 2025 by Manzara Dergi. All rights reserved.

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Abstract
This article seeks to explain the codification process of the Arabic script through the efforts of the ruling classes of the period to construct cultural, political, and religious legitimacy, using examples such as wall inscriptions, milestones, bureaucratic correspondence, and coin minting. It first provides a historical analysis of the period and then explains why the Arabic script was developed, based on the responses the Umayyad dynasty attempted to produce to the political atmosphere in which it was situated.

Keywords: Arabic Script Codification, Abd al-Malik, Umayyad Caliphate, Kufic Script, Dome of the Rock, Political Legitimacy, Early Islamic Art

Citation (Chicago Style):
Umut Zeren, “The Codification of the Arabic Script: Legitimacy, Power, and Symbolism in the Umayyad Caliphate,” Lectern Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (October 2025): 150–160, Istanbul: Manzara Dergi. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17594480

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