Introduction Many religions use figures to represent their faith and convictions, but in Islam, the use of figures is seen as a form of idolatry and worldly thus the discouragement of its use. Calligraphy as a form of writing and art was adopted. It is a significant form of visual art in Islamic architecture. This is due to its simplicity in conveying messages such as the Quran and Mohammed’s sayings and teachings. It is used to express the Muslims’ faith and identity and brings forth a great type of decorative art. Calligraphy inscriptions are everywhere in the Muslim culture: in the Quran, mosque, madrasa, the libraries and mausoleums, tombs, palaces, and so on. This raises the subject of the use of calligraphy in the Muslim world. How is modern-day technology innovation influencing the use of this form of art? In what ways are the Muslims trying to preserve the art? In this paper, the focus is made on the history and use of calligraphy as a form of Islamic architecture in the Timurid and its contemporary development. Islamic history Islam commenced in the Arabian Peninsula. The prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD in Mecca (“What is Islam?” 1). He was raised by his mother who died when he was 6 years old. His grandfather took over after his mother’s death. Meanwhile, people in Mecca were worshiping gods, goddesses and idols. In 610AD, he experienced his first vision from God and from then onwards, he embraced Islam and proclaimed Allah as the true God. He preached Islam to the people with difficulty due to their heavy opposition. In 621 AD, he went to Medina with some people from the Arab tribe. In Medina, Hejira took place and Muhammad was almost killed. A battle took place between the Jews and those from Medina and Muhammad’s men wore it. His rule was tightened and people acknowledged him as the prophet. He died in 632 AD and Abu Bakr took over as the Muslim leader (“What is Islam?” 5). After Muhammad, Islam rapidly expanded to the west. However, the opposition was experienced in some regions due to the infiltration of Christianity. His sayings were assembled and the Hadith was generated. The Muslims believe in one God (Allah), angels who serve Allah, the scriptures such as the Qur’an, Muhammad as the last prophet and the last days for resurrection (“What is Islam?”10). The Timurid architectural history The Timurid was an empire in Central Asia founded by Timur and consisted of Samarkand, Herat, Bukhara and Shahr-i Sabz. Its architecture is mainly Persian, though a lot of reinvention has been made to include decorative elements (Blair and Bloom 45). The architectural development in the Timurid is categorized into four distinct eras according to the leader at that particular time. These are:   * Timur (1370-1405) – under Timur, the Aqsaray palace was constructed and tile decorations and brick mosaic were used (Blair and Bloom 45). In addition, he built a tomb and a mosque (Bibi Khanum) which followed the Persian architecture (Thackston 3).   * Shah Rukh and wife Gawharshad (1405-1447) – under Shah Rukh and his wife, the madrasa system of education was introduced. These enabled people to learn Islam and governance and architecture development was embedded in them. Shrines were also built-