Naoum Moukarzel

A Lebanese publisher and journalist who revolutionized Arabic typography and founded the first modern newspaper in the Ottoman Levant

Naoum Moukarzel (1860-1916) was a visionary printer who transformed Arabic publishing through technological innovation. Born in Beirut, he developed the first Arabic movable type fonts designed for modern printing presses, enabling mass production of Arabic books for the first time. In 1887, he co-founded An-Nahar newspaper, which became the region's most influential publication for its bold political commentary and use of photographic journalism. His 1895 invention of mahdud typeface standardized Arabic typography and remains a cornerstone of modern typesetting. Moukarzel's printing press in Beirut produced 80% of Lebanon's books by 1900, including the first Arabic dictionaries with European language translations. He pioneered women's participation in journalism through his sister's column in An-Nahar, making it the first Middle Eastern newspaper with regular female contributors. Moukarzel's 1908 treatise 'The Alphabet of Progress' argued for technological adoption as a path to Arab modernization. His legacy endures through the Naoum Moukarzel Museum in Beirut and the annual typography awards bearing his name. Recent exhibitions at the British Library have highlighted his role in bridging Ottoman and European publishing traditions.