Art History

Illustrating the Bahri Mamluks

An art historical examination of dress in Mamluk Cairo during the Bahri Dynasty (1250–1382 CE / 647–783 AH)

About a year ago, I started work on a new children’s book manuscript where the main character is a craftsman of Khayamiyya — large applique tents used for celebratory occasions. However, whilst the story is purely imaginative, I thought it would be nice for its illustrations to be rooted in history to prevent the perpetuation of stereotypes, as well as perhaps ignite a passion for history and Islamic art history in the next generation. Therefore, when I heard that I needed to conduct a research project to complete my Graduate Certificate of Asian Art through SOAS, London, I jumped at the opportunity to develop a resource and a knowledge base for illustrating the early Mamluk world.

Although it has since been edited and changed, an early draft the story opens like this:

A long time ago in Cairo, when Mamluk sultans ruled the land, the small street of Shari al-Khayamiyya bustled with patrons and merchants, each wanting the best craftsman and lowest price for their magnificent celebratory…