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Samarkand Papermaking

Type Object Region Central Asia Time c. 751–1300

Samarkand papermaking refers to the handmade paper craft and products developed in the Transoxiana region of Central Asia within the Islamic world;…

Timeline

  1. c. 751–900Samarkand · TransoxianaAccording to Arab historians, Tang prisoners of war brought papermaking to Samarkand after the Battle of Talas; local craftsmen improved the raw material formula and pulping process, workshops lined the riverbanks, and the product became known as Samarkand paper.
  2. c. 900–1040Samarkand · TransoxianaDuring the Samanid and Karakhanid periods, Samarkand's paper industry scaled up; products were shipped along trade routes to Baghdad, Damascus, and Cairo, replacing parchment and papyrus as the main writing medium of the Islamic world.
  3. 1041–1050Samarkand · Karakhanid KhanateAfter the Karakhanid realm split, Samarkand's paper workshops continued to operate normally, supplying paper to madrasas, government offices, and merchants; Samarkand paper sold westward along the Silk Road as a branded commodity, supporting Central Asian scholarly and administrative writing needs.

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