Islamic Paper Mill

Timeline

1. c. 751–793Samarkand · SamarkandAccording to traditional accounts, Chinese papermaking craftsmen were brought to Central Asia after the Battle of Talas; Samarkand became one of the earliest regions in the Islamic world to establish paper mills, producing paper from linen and rags.
2. c. 794–1000Baghdad · BaghdadDuring the reign of Harun al-Rashid, an official paper mill was established in Baghdad; papermaking technology then spread along trade routes to Syria, Egypt, and North Africa, replacing papyrus and parchment as the primary writing medium.
3. 1141–1150Damascus · DamascusBy the 1140s, Damascus, Cairo, and the cities of Al-Andalus all possessed mature paper mills, providing a steady paper supply for madrasas copying the Qur'an, chronicles, and medical texts; papermaking had become an important component of the urban economy.