Samarkand papermaking center

Timeline

1. 751–780Samarkand · UzbekistanAfter the Battle of Talas, according to Arabic sources, captured Tang craftsmen brought papermaking to the Samarkand region, where local production using flax, hemp, and other materials began, replacing some uses of parchment and papyrus.
2. 794–900Samarkand · UzbekistanPapermaking workshops expanded in Samarkand and surrounding oases, with products traveling west along the Silk Road to Baghdad and Damascus; Samarkand became the hub node for paper supply and further transmission of techniques in Transoxiana.
3. c. 1100–1220Samarkand · UzbekistanAs a scholarly and administrative center, Samarkand's papermaking industry supplied large quantities of paper for madrasa manuscripts, astronomical and calendrical computation, and commercial contracts, complementing the rise of the madrasa system, and production continued even after the Mongol invasions.
4. 1370–1500Samarkand · UzbekistanWith the Timurid Empire based in Samarkand, demand from court documents and miniature painting bindings drove refinement of papermaking workshop techniques, and Samarkand paper enjoyed a reputation in Persian and Central Asian markets.