Byzantine silk production and trade

Name: Byzantine silk production and trade
Start: 701
End: 800

Type Event Region Byzantine Empire Time 701–800

In the 8th century the Byzantine Empire maintained a state monopoly on silk production in Constantinople and Asia Minor, weaving fine fabrics in impe…

Timeline

701–800Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireThe empire maintained imperial silk workshops (gynaikonitis) in the capital, where court women wove imperial garments and ceremonial textiles; state law strictly forbade the export of silkworm eggs and weaving techniques to preserve the silk monopoly.
701–800Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireByzantine silk was exported by land and sea routes to the Franks, the Arab caliphates and steppe peoples, while also serving as diplomatic gifts to cement alliances; the silk trade brought the empire steady foreign exchange income and enhanced its international influence.

Sources

Byzantine Silk Production: A Restatement — David Jacoby (2004)
The Economic History of Byzantium — Angeliki E. Laiou (ed.) (2002)