Script - Old Uyghur

Old Uyghur is a historical script used primarily for writing the Old Uyghur language, a Turkic tongue spoken in Central Asia from around the 8th to the 13th century. Its characters are cursive and derived from the Sogdian script, featuring vertical columns written from top to bottom, with lines progressing left to right. The script includes letters for consonants and vowels, some of which are contextually shaped depending on their position within a word. It played a key role in religious and administrative texts, particularly among Manichaean and Buddhist communities. Today, its study aids in understanding the linguistic and cultural history of the Silk Road.