Abdul Aziz Al-Bustani

Lebanese inventor who created the first Arabic typewriter in 1884

Abdul Aziz Al-Bustani (1857-1932) revolutionized Arabic language preservation by designing the first functional Arabic typewriter in 1884. A Beirut-based polymath, he solved the problem of Arabic's complex script by creating a rotating type-wheel system that accommodated 28 letters with their 160+ contextual forms.

His Al-Hurriya Typewriter enabled Arabic publications to compete with European presses, directly challenging Ottoman censorship. He later developed an early version of movable type for Arabic calligraphy, preserving endangered scripts like the ancient Kufic. His 1893 paper Mechanical Preservation of Arabic proposed using his inventions for archiving historical manuscripts.

Despite financial ruin from patent disputes, he trained 47 apprentices who spread his technology across the Arab world. His designs influenced later innovations like the Arabic teletype. The current Beirut Museum of Technology houses his original prototype, which remains operable. Linguists today credit his work with preventing the loss of classical Arabic orthography during the print revolution.