Throughout the Islamic era, royal fabrics were one of the important items on the lists of gifts to kings and sultans. Historical references tell that the tribute Egypt paid to the Abbasid court and the gifts Ahmad Ibn Tulun sent were all made from the Egyptian workshops. The gifts sent by General Khimarawe after his father's death to Caliph Al-Mutadid in AH 279 (AD 892)included many valuable fabrics and quality clothes. One piece of these, with the name of the caliph, dates back to AH 278 (AD 891). Other fabrics made in Egypt for the Abbasid caliphs were found in Baghdad. Similarly, a piece with the name of Caliph Al-Muhtadi was made in an Alexandrian workshop in AH 256 (AD 870).
During the Fatimid era, sultans used fabrics to help achieve their political goals. Al-Muizz, the first Fatimid caliph to rule in Egypt, worked to make himself closer to the Egyptian people by giving them valuable robes. He established workshops inside his palace especially to create these valuable robes, recruiting the most talented weavers.
The Fatimids expanded the tradition, dedicating a whole bureaucracy to supervise the process of distributing robes on different occasions including the first day of Ramadan, the first day in the Hijri calendar, and the two feasts. Historians described in great detail the robes the Fatimids gave to princes, princesses, palace officials, doctors, the court, and the rulers of Cairo and Fustat. Historical evidence even points to the existence of a Robes Day in the Fatimid era, where robes were given out to people according to their status. The ones decorated with gold were given to high officials, important guests, and foreign visitors. The first to have been given such a robe by Caliph Al-Muizz was his commander Jawhar the Sicilian. Caliph Al-Hakim gave Al-Hassan ibn Ammar 50 valuable robes. Also Al-Adid gave Saladin valuable robes when Saladin became his Vizier .
During the Fatimid era, sultans used fabrics to help achieve their political goals. Al-Muizz, the first Fatimid caliph to rule in Egypt, worked to make himself closer to the Egyptian people by giving them valuable robes. He established workshops inside his palace especially to create these valuable robes, recruiting the most talented weavers.
The Fatimids expanded the tradition, dedicating a whole bureaucracy to supervise the process of distributing robes on different occasions including the first day of Ramadan, the first day in the Hijri calendar, and the two feasts. Historians described in great detail the robes the Fatimids gave to princes, princesses, palace officials, doctors, the court, and the rulers of Cairo and Fustat. Historical evidence even points to the existence of a Robes Day in the Fatimid era, where robes were given out to people according to their status. The ones decorated with gold were given to high officials, important guests, and foreign visitors. The first to have been given such a robe by Caliph Al-Muizz was his commander Jawhar the Sicilian. Caliph Al-Hakim gave Al-Hassan ibn Ammar 50 valuable robes. Also Al-Adid gave Saladin valuable robes when Saladin became his Vizier .
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