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Culture Contact Between the Islamic East and the European West

Textile Industry

The Textile industry produced various types of silk: "Khaz", pure silk (Ibrasem) and "deepaj" which is silk fabric embroidered with gold or silver threads. This prospered due to the numerous cherry trees, on whose leaves the silkworm feeds. The Andalusian historian Uraib Ibn Sa'd (d. 370 A.H.) underlines the role of women in selecting the cocoons and in looking after eggs of the silkworm from February until they hatch in March.

The most important centres for silkworm raising were: Granada, Malaga and Jaen which was called 'Jaen of silk'. The silk textile industry was centered in Almeria east of Andalusia, which contained about 5600 looms. Seville was also famous for highly expensive embroidered robes of marvellous designs, as was Zaragoza in northern Spain. Andalusian textiles gained an excellent reputation in European aristocratic circles; biographies of kings, popes and leaders indicate they were interested in obtaining this costly cloth. Many museums throughout the world contain numerous pieces of these Andalusian textiles.

Spain was also famous for its woollen fabrics suited to the cold weather. For this they used rabbit fur and goat hair as well as sheep wool. Zaragoza, Cuenca and Chinchilla were centers for this industry.

Carpet, mat and rug industries were located in Murcia and Baza in the east. The Spanish word Alfombra may be derived from the Arabic word 'Khamra' i.e. 'mat' or from the red colour which was dominant.