JEDDAH: A community of artists came together to add more art to the multicultural city of Makkah in the form of a 33-meter long mural. The mural was organized through community participation with Vision Pioneers Group in cooperation with Thawan Specialized Contracting, aiming to add an aesthetic touch to Al-Awali bridge, connecting Makkah to Taif Al-Hada. Over more than 14 days, 15 Saudi painters put in more than 70 hours of work. The mural was designed using modern Arabic calligraphy art: Sunbuli calligraphy was created in the early 1900s by Turkish calligrapher Arif Hikmat and is derived from the Diwani style of calligraphy. The Diwani script was once used by emperors of the Ottoman Empire, its letters having a smooth and harmonious flow. Sunbuli makes minor changes to give its letters strong pointed edges.HIGHLIGHT The mural was designed using modern Arabic calligraphy art: Sunbuli calligraphy was created in the early 1900s by Turkish calligrapher Arif Hikmat and is derived from the Diwani style of calligraphy. The Diwani script was once used by emperors of the Ottoman Empire, its letters having a smooth and harmonious flow. Sunbuli makes minor changes to give its letters strong pointed edges. The initiative aims to embellish the region’s landscape, decorate its roads and bridges and revive purposeful art and paintings in public places. Mousa bin Suleiman Al-Sohbi, head of the beautification and humanization management in Makkah municipality, said the initiative came from the mayor of Makkah, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Quwaihes, and the follow-up of the undersecretary for construction and maintenance, Eng. Zuhair bin Abdulrahman Saqat, and director of gardens and beautification, Eng. Hani bin Hashem Nasiri. Vision Pioneers Group Chairman Rayyan bin Wasfi Maqlan said the voluntary initiative aimed to artistically improve the urban scene in the holy city with the help of young Saudis. “The initiative also aimed to shed light on the talents of the young participants and encourage their sense of social responsibility,” he added.