A very famous original Mamluk carpet fragment resides in the Victoria and Albert museum in London, a picture of this fragment is to the right, and below is an extract from the V&A website explaining its origins.
Qa’itbay was an outstanding example of a cultured Mamluk ruler who was brought to Egypt as a slave. In 1435, when he was in his early twenties, he was purchased by Sultan Barsbay and trained as one of his military attendants. Because of his great ability, Qa’itbay rose to become commander-in-chief, and in 1468 was acclaimed sultan. The reigns of Mamluk sultans could be very short, but Qa’itbay ruled unchallenged for 28 years, dying in 1496. During this time, he earned a reputation for piety. He founded and restored many religious buildings and supplied them with minbars, lamps and other elegant furnishings.
Keen to stimulate economic activity, Qa’itbay encouraged the revival of skills such as inlaid metalwork and the introduction of new industries, including carpet-weaving. This is one of the very few examples of Mamluk carpet-weaving that have survived from this period. The Egyptian weavers drew on Iranian techniques and designs.
