Design Concept
Shekanj is a typeface shaped at the intersection of three calligraphic styles: Nastaʿlīq, Ruqʿah, and Naskh. Each of these scripts plays a distinct role in its construction. Stylistically, Shekanj remains closely tied to the letterforms of Nastaʿlīq, with subtle echoes of Ruqʿah. Structurally, however, its underlying composition follows the logic of Naskh.
At the heart of Shekanj lies a fundamental question: can Nastaʿlīq letterforms be positioned along a horizontal baseline—khatt-e korsī—and still function as a viable typographic system, both in form and in overall texture? Exploring this question became the driving force behind the design, guiding decisions at every stage of development.
Character Set
Expressive by nature, Shekanj preserves clear calligraphic references in its forms, while carefully moderating them to maintain coherence across text blocks. To achieve a smooth ryhthm, Shekanj boasts an extensive of ligatures and features. It also includes two sets of horizontal elongations (for letters with madda), providing additional flexibility in text composition.
Latin Pairing
Conventionally, when adding multi-script support to a typeface, the obvious approach is to seek visual equivalence across different writing systems. Shekanj deliberately departs from this convention. Instead, it nods to a long-standing tradition across the Arabic-script world, where expressive Arabic calligraphic forms are paired with more constructed Latin counterparts.
For its Latin companion, Shekanj, a high-contrast typeface with strong calligraphic roots, is paired with a sans serif typeface that carries minimal calligraphic references: Lumin Sans Condensed. This contrast amplifies the distinctive qualities of the Arabic script, creating an unexpected yet balanced visual dialogue between the two systems.
Authors
Shekanj was designed by Amir Mahdi Moslehi under the supervision of Kristyan Sarkis between 2021 and 2025. Font engineering was carried out by Amin Abedi. Its Latin companion, Lumin Sans Condensed is designed by Nikola Djurek.
