MEMLUK DESIGNS AND MEMLUK RUGS
Memluks were the soldiers and
administers of the Eyyubid Dynasty which ruled
over Egypt and Syria. These former slaves and soldiers with Turkish and
Circassian origin first took control over the government and then Egyptian
Sultanate(1260). In 1261, Memluks after preventing the Mongolian Invasion, they
took over Cairo where they ruled till the Ottoman Conquest. During this period,
the Memluks produced rugs with very unusual patterns containing octagons,
triangles and vivid colors such as yellows, greens, blues. Woven with an asymmetrical
knots, having S spun yarn wool, Memluk Rugs has great medallions the center. During the Ottoman centuries, in addition to Ottoman Flower Pattern
Rugs, Memluk style rugs continued to be woven. Memluk rugs of the later periods started having divisions, chessboard pattern
and octagons covering the whole ground of the carpet.
OTTOMAN CAIRO FLOWER CARPETS
During the 16th and 17th centuries, Cairo workshops produced rugs with flower
patterns, tile designs and patterns borrowed from the book covers. Cairo rugs which were woven with
asymmetrical knots are displayed in the various museums of
the world.
PARA-MEMLUK RUGS
These rugs which were woven in Cairo, Damascus and Anatolia are
easily recognized because of their designs having medallions used in 2 1 2 order. Para
Memluk rugs, which are woven by asymmetrical knots and Z spun wool, has red as
the main ground color and green, brown, yellow and violet colors as the main colors.
MEMLUK DESIGNS AND MEMLUK RUGS Memluks