Arabic Papermaking

Timeline

1. c. 751–800Samarkand · TransoxianaAfter the Battle of Talas, Chinese papermakers are said to have been brought to Samarkand, where the local papermaking method was improved using linen and rags; the product was known as 'Samarkand paper' and was superior in quality to papyrus.
2. c. 794–1000Baghdad · Abbasid EmpireHarun al-Rashid established an official papermaking workshop in Baghdad; falling paper prices spurred the translation movement and a surge in administrative documents, and papermaking spread rapidly to Syria, Egypt, and Spain.
3. c. 1260–1350Damascus · Mamluk SultanateIn the mid-13th century, papermaking workshops in Damascus, Cairo, and elsewhere continued operating under the Mamluks and the Ilkhanate, supplying madrasas and diplomatic documents and maintaining paper exports to the Mediterranean.
4. c. 1150–1500Xàtiva · AragonPapermaking workshops were established in Xàtiva, Sagunto, and Fabriano in Italy under Moorish and later rule; the Arabic papermaking method spread to Christian Europe via the northern Mediterranean coast and was localized.