Publication Date
19th century
Publication Place
Türkiye -
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
Subject
Cotton, silk, silver, gold: embroidery
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
طول: 164 سم عرض: 130 سم ارتفاع: 148.5 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
FBQ.HH.403
Record ID
object;EPM;qt;Mus22;41;ar
Library Location
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani Museum
Date
19th century
Notes
This festive tee is made of tent-like cotton fabric embroidered with gold and silver threads. The mahmal is placed on a wooden frame (trash) on the back of a camel, and carries the kiswa (covering of the Kaaba) and other religious objects to Mecca in a Hajj procession. This example from Ottoman Turkey features Mamluk yellow decorated with the Verse of the Throne (Ayat al-Kursi), the Islamic supplication (Basmala), and the declaration of faith (Shahada) in thuluth calligraphy. The signature of the Ottoman Sultan appears in Tughra script. During the Hajj or Umrah season, the caravan would parade through the streets of Cairo in a festival accompanied by musicians before embarking on the journey to Saudi Arabia. The mahmal is reminiscent of the wedding procession and carries feminine connotations through its familiarity with the howdah used to transport hidden women away from the public eye. Muslim rulers would order the mahmal as an opportunity to highlight their sovereignty, taste, and piety. Although the legend of the Mamluk Sultan Fatima Shajarat al-Durr linked the ruler to the first mahmal, scholars debate the first appearance with earlier references that narrate Zubaydah, wife of Haram al-Rashid, using a painting in a procession of al-Hajj from Baghdad to Mecca.
Sample Text
Sarah Schroeder “Mahmal” in Discover Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;qt;Mus22;41;ar
