Green silk made for the Prophet's tomb in Medina, Turkey (probably Bursa), 1517-1600.

A length of green woven silk in lampas weave, with inscriptions in a zigzag design.

The zigzag pattern on this piece associates it with the special textiles woven for dressing the holy places of Islam in Hijaz. Green-ground textiles of this type were used to dress the Tomb of the Prophet in Medina.

According to the scheme devised by Dr Selin Ipek, this textile can be dated to the period immediately after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt and Syria in 1516-17, when the Ottoman sultan became protector of the Two Noble Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina in succession to the Mamluk sultans (ruled 1250-1517). The zigzag format of the design had already been established in the Mamluk period, while the palmettes set on the points of the zigzags are also found on at least one example from the earlier period. The palmettes seem to have disappeared from the design by the beginning of the 17th century.

The style of calligraphy is also less typically Ottoman, with echoes of the decorative inscriptions of the Mamluk period.

This piece of silk is from a tomb cover. Silks with this zigzag design on a green ground were made for the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb in Medina. The main inscription is the Shahadah, which reads, ‘There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God’. The narrower band below it mentions the first four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali.

Caring for the Prophet’s tomb was a notable honour. When the Ottoman dynasty ruled Medina (1517–1916), special textiles were made to cover his tomb. Similar textiles were sent to decorate the Ka’bah in Mecca. Contact with the holy places imbued these covers with ‘barakah’ or divine grace. When the covers were renewed, pieces were preserved as relics.

779-1892