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Papermaking in the Islamic World

Type Object Region West Asia Time 1231–1240

After arriving from Central Asia in the 8th century, Islamic craftsmen developed papermaking using linen, cotton and rags on Persian and Chinese foun…

Timeline

  1. 750–800Samarkand · SamarkandPapermaking craftsmen brought the craft from Central Asia into the Islamic world, with Samarkand and Baghdad establishing the first mills. Using rags, linen and plant fibers, they developed processes of pulping, sheet-forming and sizing, and paper gradually replaced expensive parchment for copying and administration.
  2. 1231–1240Damascus · DamascusPaper mills dotted Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo and the cities of North Africa; madrasas, government offices and caravans relied on paper for copying scriptures, contracts and letters. High-quality xuan-like paper was also shipped by sea to the Mediterranean, becoming the underlying medium of the Islamic world's knowledge economy and administrative system.

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