Can a MeFite who reads Arabic script please help me?

May 15, 2022 4:52 PM

Bought this cool decorative plate at an antique mall on the weekend. Can anybody tell me what it says? Picture of the plate. I'm not sure it's oriented correctly, but there's a hook on the back of the plate that would hang it like this. Markings on the back seem to indicate that it's from Turkey. Thanks in advance!
posted by mccxxiii to Writing & Language (5 answers total)

I don't read Arabic, but my mother and my grandmother were both given plates with that script. They had no idea of what it said; I am sure the U.S. serviceman who bought them in Turkey didn't either.

It says "Allahu Akbar" or "God is great; God is greatest."
posted by jgirl at 5:29 PM on May 15, 2022

I'm 90% sure it says "الله جل جلاله" - something akin to "God almighty" or more literally "God His glory is revered/great".
posted by Papagayo at 12:16 AM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]

Sorry to spam but it definitely doesn't say "Allahu akbar" (الله اكبر).
posted by Papagayo at 12:17 AM on May 16, 2022

Best answer: Try reddit.com/r/translator
posted by kschang at 2:27 AM on May 16, 2022

Papagayo, I agree!

The large "Allahu" is clear. And you look at this image of "جلَّ جلاله" written with the words overlapping you can see how it looks really similar to what's on the far right on your plate. Or see the whole phrase here. The calligraphy on the plate just kinda emphasizes the overlap and closes up the "j"s (ج ). Aesthetics!
posted by neda at 10:10 AM on May 16, 2022 [1 favorite]