In Arab such colors are chosen whose intensity can vary greatly, so that the greater strokes of the compositions can be very dynamic in their effect. They used bright color. They focus on the interior space of a building rather than the exterior. They use geometric and repetitive art. The traditional instrument of the Arabic calligrapher is the qalam, a pen made of dried reed; the ink is often in color, and chosen such that its intensity can vary greatly, so that the greater strokes of the compositions can be very dynamic in their effect.

Entry into the mosque from the ablution area—courtyard or vestibule—leads to an open room without furniture. The architecture of this prayer hall is typically undifferentiated—often a forest of columns or a grid filled with adjacent domes covers the space. At that time large colored dotes were used to show Tashkeel.