60+ Gorgeous and Eye-Catching Arabic Calligraphy Tattoo Design Ideas and their Meanings

Out of all the tattoo designs out there, there’s probably nothing even more meaningful and personal like a calligraphy tattoo. But what makes it an even better idea is that it has some unique aesthetics to it too. Plus, you have countless languages to choose from.

One of our favorites is the Arabic calligraphy tattoo. This is because unlike other languages that has letters resembling the English alphabet, the Arabic alphabet, also known as Arabic abjad, is one of the several languages in the world that is composed of unique characters. And unlike other cultures’ calligraphy, the Arabic words are written differently – from right to left in cursive style. And when tattooed on one’s skin, it’s definitely interesting. That said, if you’re looking for something unique yet meaningful, Arabic calligraphy tattoos are one of the designs that we can highly suggest.

But before you give this cool and meaningful tattoo a go, why not delve deeper into the things you need to know about this design?

Arabic Calligraphy Tattoos Price

Probably the first question that comes to your mind after choosing a design is the price of the tattoo you have in mind. Well, the answer is: it depends. A tattoo’s price varies depending on a number of factors: the level of expertise of the artist, the size, the design, color, and the placement.

Startup tattoo artists often charge lesser than the ones who have already established their names. However, the con here would be the detail of your tattoo. Not to offend anyone, though, but established artists have more experience already. This means if you have a more complicated design in mind, chances are, you will be able to achieve it perfectly if you have it tattooed by an experienced artist.

A tattoo’s price depends on its details too. If it’s intricate, big, and requires more work, expect that it’s not going to be cheap.

The color plays a role in determining a tattoo’s price too. Designs in black ink tend to be much cheaper; while the ones with more colors cost bigger.

Also, you need to think about your tattoo’s placement too as it also contributed to its price. Tattoos on the hands, for instance, come at a cheaper price at first, especially because of its size. However, such tattoo placement requires frequent touch-ups which could cost you more in the long run.

But generally, in the case of Arabic calligraphy tattoos, it’s likely to cost you less. This is because most artists charge a cheaper price for script tattoos as they are easier to work on. But then again, consider its size, color, and added details, plus the level of expertise of your chosen tattoo artist as its price may vary because of these factors too.

Who can Wear Arabic Calligraphy Tattoos?

In the world of body art, actually, anyone can wear it. There are even non-Arabian celebrities and personalities who sport such a tattoo.

Celebrities with Arabic Calligraphy Tattoo

Angelina Jolie wearing an Arabic calligraphy tattoo that means “determination” or “strong will power;” such a fitting word to describe such an extraordinary woman

Zoe Kravitz’s Arabic tattoo on the left shoulder blade that reads, “Let Love Rule.” However, reports say that it translates to “Let Love Al-Qaeda” because of some fault in the strokes

Selena Gomez’s tat always reminds her to love herself first

Kym Ryder has her children’s names in Arabic on her left shoulder

Zoe Saldana has an Arabic tattoo inked on her right foot which reportedly reads, “I want to ask her”

Footballer Zlatan Ibahomovic tattooed his surname in Arabic on his right arm

Colin Farell has an Arabic tattoo on his left wrist that translates to “Freedom”

Zayn Malik has his grandfather’s name “Walter” tattooed in Arabic on his chest

Christina Perri’s Arabic tattoo on her left forearm that means “Destiny”

Australian cricketer Michael Clarke also has an Arabic script tattoo on his forearm

Leona Lewis has a small wrist tattoo that translates to “I am for my beloved and my beloved is for me”

Rihanna, on the other hand, has a religious rib tattoo that translates to “Freedom in Messiah”

But then again, it is noteworthy that we should do more research on such designs to avoid erroneous and embarrassing tattoos. Also, bear in mind that some cultures have some unwritten rules when it comes to wearing their native tattoos. Some Arabians, for instance, might find some tattoo designs offensive. But if you’re planning to have such design inked on your skin, don’t worry, we got your back as we have some safe design ideas that you can take inspirations from.

Arabic Calligraphy Tattoos and their Meanings

Arabic calligraphy tattoo designs come in a number of variations. And in this article, we’re going to share some popular ones and, needless to say, the safest ones, with you that we’re sure you’re going to love not just because of the unique aesthetics that it has but because of its meanings as well. Without further ado, here are some of the top variations of Arabic calligraphy tattoos and their meanings that we highly suggest.

Name

If you want something that’s very personalized, a name tattoo written in Arabic characters is what we recommend. Aside from the fact that it’s one of the safest choices for a tattoo design, it also gives more identity to the person who wears it. Here are some samples for that.

An Arabic name tattooed on the wrist

This Arabic name tattoo is much bigger

A name tattoo in Arabic placed just below the nape

An Arabic name tattoo placed on the side of the right wrist

Another name tattoo in Arabic but is inked on the side of the forearm

This man had his whole name vertically inked on the left side of his torso

Memorial

If you want to remember or honor someone by, there’s no better way than to keep them close to your heart by having something that will remind you of them inked in your body. You can have their name tattooed in Arabic characters or add some dates. Here are some ideas to honor your loved ones.

Mother and daughter tattoo designs on the forearm

This man opted to have his mom and dad’s names inked in Arabic

A wrist tattoo honoring family

A hand tattoo to honor her mother

Word or Quote

If you always want something that’s full of meanings and very inspirational, there’s nothing better than a word or quote tattoo. Words are powerful and if you were to ink a script, it will definitely count, especially if it has some unique aesthetics like the ones that Arabic characters can give.

For some inspirations on what quotes or words should you have, people usually go for things about love in general, freedom, life and having patience. It’s wholesome, inspirational, and, of course, a very safe choice if you don’t want judging eyes following you around wherever you go. What’s even better is that it can tell a great story too. Here are some ideas for that.

If you want to focus more on enhancing Arabic calligraphy tattoos’ aesthetics, here are some additional details that we suggest.

A rib tattoo of a quote from the Quran that means “Patience is Beautiful”

A small wrist tattoo that will always remind you that you are a fighter

Another wrist tattoo but this one translates to “Resist”

A shoulder tattoo that will always remind you that you are powerful

A rib tattoo that means “resilience” in English

A small wrist tattoo that will always give you hope

A back tattoo that means “Strength/Power, Energy, Faith in God, Dignity, Balance” when translated to English

An Arabic tattoo that means “Faith” placed on the right wrist

This one, on the other hand, means “Joy”

A forearm tattoo that will always remind you that you are “unbreakable”

A tattoo placed on the nape that’s just like Christina Perri’s, “Destiny”

The Arabic tattoo in red ink means “Life” while the one written in black ink means “Love

Hand tattoos that means “Love, Always” or “Always Love” when put together

A forearm tattoo that means “You can feel love”

This tattoo describes the owner as someone who is free-spirited as it means “free spirit”

This one means “everything happens for a reason”

A quote that translates to “what does not kill you makes you stronger”

A back tattoo that means “Keep your head up”

A quote tattoo, that translates to “You deserve happiness; don’t let anyone make you forget that,” paired with a wave tattoo

Another quote tattoo but this one means “And this too will pass”

This means “Behind patience, beautiful things are waiting”

“From dust to dust,” a quote that means we were created from clay and we will be buried in the dust too

An Arabic tattoo that will remind you to “be strong and confident”

An Arabic tattoo just below the clavicle

Shape it Up

We often see plain Arabic word tattoos. But what many don’t understand is that having a tattoo in this style is merely something as if you just tattooed an English word in Helvetica. And if you’re familiar with the Arabic alphabet and how it is written, you’ll surely find it boring over time. If you want to spice up your Arabic tattoo, why not break out from boundaries of the traditional Islamic script and add some shape to it just like what tattoo artist Karima Sharabi is doing. She follows no rules, unlike most calligraphers do wherein certain proportions are followed in drawing every character. She can shape words into a heart, quotes into a person meditating, etc. Here are some samples to give you a better idea of that.

An Arabic rib tattoo that’s shaped like a teardrop

This one is shaped like a star

Arabic tattoos shaped like a circle

An Arabic tattoo shaped like a bird

This one’s shaped like a big cat

A quote that means “We will live because living is life in itself” shaped like a dancing woman

An Arabic quote tattoo shaped like a horse in an upright position

An Arabic quote shaped like a circle

Another shaped Arabic tattoo placed on the upper part of the arm

Add Some Colors

Usually, people go for Arabic calligraphy tattoos in black ink which is very common. If you want something more unique, adding colors to it wound surely give it a good upgrade. Also, it will easily draw anyone’s attention, if that’s what you want. Arabic calligraphy tattoo is already interesting; what more if you were to add some colors to it?

A wrist tattoo in red ink

This one is in blue and black ink

This Arabic tattoo, on the other hand, is in black ink but it has a backdrop made of green, red, blue, and pink splats of colors

These collarbone tattoos are made with red ink

This one is also in red ink but is placed on the back area and is much larger

This one is a combination of black and red ink

Pair it with Geometric Shapes and Mandala Details

Geometric shapes and mandala are also a nice addition to any tattoo and Arabic calligraphy tattoo is no exemption. They don’t just add some aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching details to a tattoo but it can also add more meaning to it. You see, every shape has its own meaning too. Even a simple circle can make your Arabic calligraphy tattoo even more meaningful. Here’s how you can combine such detail to your Arabic calligraphy tattoo.

An Arabic tattoo with dotwork mandala details

This forearm tattoo is combined with geometric shapes

This one is paired with curves and lines

This Arabic tattoo also gives some geometric vibes

This tattoo shows more dominant lines