Be Refreshed in

In a typical Muslim house, the Riyad is the inner central courtyard.

The house presents walls and a few grilled screened windows to the world. But inside the thick walls is one's own world, cool and private. While there may be a garden of plants at the back of the house, the centrally located riyad, protected somewhat from the sun, with shady niches and often a fountain or small pool, is a place that is welcoming for family and guests alike in which to spend time.

It is cool and pleasant here. There is water trickling in our fountain and the sweet sounds of songbirds among the plants. The gazebo provides shade from the unrelenting sun. Please, take a seat and relax. A servant will bring some mint tea and sweet pastries. Mamoul from the Levant are among my favorites, semolina cakes filled with rosewater-scented date puree. But of course there are others to choose from - please, try some baqlawa or kata'if.

I am no longer new to the SCA. My first event was in May of 1999 and I received my membership card in late July. At the Beltane event just passed (2005), I celebrated six years in the SCA. I live in the Kingdom of the West, the Principality of The Mists, and the Province of The Mists - in the vicinity of Berkeley and Oakland, California.

Thursday: 05 January 2006: More even newer...

• SCA Myths About Middle Eastern Culture has been slightly revised and expanded
  
• Reviews of Embroidery Books: Three Books on Ottoman Embroidery and One on Egyptian Embroidery.

Saturday: 17 December 2005: Something newer... SCA Myths About Middle Eastern Culture

Friday: 20 May 2005: Ooh, there are a few new things here... take a look below... Hint: See the Maghribi and Andalusi section, and the Persian and Ottoman section, and the Mamluk section.

• Maghribi and Andalusi Costume
  
• Persian and Ottoman Clothing Patterns
  
• Mamluk Textile and Costume Items
  
• Some 9th-14th century Islamic Textiles
  
• Medieval Egyptian Knitting

Friday: 20 May 2005: NEW!

• "Kingdom of Heaven" What Locals Probably Wore in Jerusalem in the late 12th century
  

• NEW! Bayad and Riyad

A selection of illustrations from the 13th century tale of unrequited love, one of only three manuscripts known to have survived from Medieval al-Andaus. Useful for clothing ideas.

• A Historical Survey of Maghribi Men's and Women's Costume

This is a digest of the Maghribi part of an article in the Encyclopedia of Islam on Islamic/Arabic/etc. costume. This covers both men and women.

• A Glossary of Maghribi Clothing
• The Glossary organized by country

These pages have a glossary of garments, their names in Arabic and/or Berber (Amazight), very brief descriptions, and where they were/are worn. One is organized alphabetically by garment name, the other by the modern country in which they are worn.

• Maghribi Women's Costume

An introduction and historical overview, from Roman Egypt to 17th century Tunisia. Specifics of Maghribi and Andalusian women's costume, with a look at the various garments that make up an outfit, from around the 10th century through the 16th century.

• 13th Century Andalusian Men's and Women's Costume

One good source of information is art from early to mid period Spain. Here are pictures of Muslim costumes of both females and males from the Books of Games by Alfonso X the Wise, dated to 1283. Many graphics, so it may be slow to load.

• Three Andalusian Men
• Two Arab Men in al-Andalus
• Two Men, one Muslim, one Jewish
• Two Men, one Muslim, one Christian
• Three Andalusian Women
• Two Arab Women in al-Andalus
• Two Women, One Muslim, One Christian
• 13th century Female and Male Andalusian Costume Compared

• 16th Century Near Eastern Women's Costume

Thirteen illustrations, so it may be slow to load, primarily from the 16th century. Eleven are Maghribi or Andalusian and two are Levantine.

• The Frimla

a woman's garment possibly going back to 16th century Maghrib.

NEW! Links to Ottoman Garments, Fabrics, and Patterns
No, i don't have my patterns up yet, but here are links to photos of actual Ottoman garments and fabrics, and some patterns by other SCAdians you can use.

NEW! Ottoman Woman's Clothing
The basics garments of a 16th century urban woman's outfit. Illustrated with 16th and early 17th century European and Ottoman art.

NEW! A 14th century Persian Embroidered Cotton Under-tunic / Kamiz / Pirihan
Color photos and some archaeological details of a carbon-dated silk embroidered cotton garments from 14th C. Persia.

Rashid's Persian Patterns Rashid lives in the East Kingdom. I saw his patterns on the Persian persona e-mail list page at Yahoo!Groups and thought perhaps they might be able to reach additional folks here. Rashid has graciously given me permission to do this. Rashid has revised his patterns and expanded their number. They now include:

• 14th c. Eastern Persian pirihan (undertunic)
• man's pirihan
• shalvar (pants)
• man's short coat
• cross-over (Mongol) style coat

and

• 3 different coat styles

He also has drawings of

• footwear
• men's head coverings
• women's head coverings
• belts

and even

• women's make-up

For complete access, check out Rashid's Patterns

If you're interested in joining the e-mail list, it can be found at sca-persian, on Yahoo!Groups; Rashid is one of the list members.

For addtional information on Persian Women's Clothing from several centuries, visit my friend A'isha's website.

Another excellent source of information on Persian clothing is the extensive web site of Roxane Farabi

• Early 13th Century Syrian Clothing
  What were they wearing during the late 12th century, when the movie "The Kingdom of Heaven" was set?
  Well, I couldn't find pictures from the 1180s, but i did find some from 1222-1230. And, boyhowdy, was the movie off base. Yeah, well, it's only a movie, it's only a movie...
  
  
• A Selection of Mamluk Textiles and Garments
  includes a brief history of the Mamluk Empire, 1250-to end of SCA period.

• Two Mamluk Caps
  one a pillbox style pieced of woven cloth, the other dome style, appliquéed and embroidered, with a long tassel
  
• Two Mamluk Embroidered Fragments
  one silk on linen, the other silk on silk, each with several different stitches.
  
• A Mamluk Embroidered Tunic Front
  What did Near Eastern tunic decoration look like in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries? This is apparently a rather representative example of those that have survived. It includes pattern darning - a counted thread technique using running stitch, openwork - another counted thread technique, a variety of stitches for motifs (including a few cross stitches which are NOT counted thread technique - quite different from the 20th and early 21st centuries), and several little tassels
  

• A Few Islamic Textiles from 9th to 14th centuries

  A selection of seven fragments from Central Asia to al-Andalus mostly brocades, but included are an embroidery and a tapestry woven "Tiraz" band. Highly detailed graphics will be slow to load on modems slower than 56K.

Really New! Psst... Wanna see my "new" knitting? look here... for two pairs of Egyptian socks, a knit mystery object, and 18 pouches based on Medieval Egyptian designs.

As of Spring 2005, i made a pair of complexly patterned socks (the child's tree-and-animal socks - the foot only had to be about 1-1/2 inches longer to fit me) and i knit the second sock to match the "Allah" sock i made in May of 2000, so i now have two pairs of finished socks. I also knit 18 pouches to donate to our Queen's "Treasure Chest", and re-created a small knit tube which may be a coin purse.

• Introduction to Medieval Egyptian and Muslim Knitting

Here is a brief introduction to the history and techniques of what is known of the beginnings of knitting in the world, with some details on fibers, colors, gauge, and technique of the earliest known knitting - from Egypt between the 11th and 14th centuries. This is also an index page of my early knitting projects.

From here you can visit

• My blue-and-white "Allah" stockings, based on an actual historical example, with directions on how to make them, completed in November '99.
• My blue-and-brown-and-white "Baraka" ("blessings") anklets, an experiment in learning techniques, with directions on how to make them, completed in December '99.

• Knee Socks
  my first knitting project: actual Medieval Muslim Egyptian reproductions, with Allah knit in Kufic script.

• Ankle Socks
  my second knitting project: my own invention using Medieval Muslim Egyptian techniques and patterns, including Baraka (Blessings) knit in Kufic script.

• More Projects - including
  -- a colorful cotton knit pouch, useful and nice looking, completed in January '00 - of fine cotton, knit at 14 stitches per inch, multi-colored, with 3 strand-knitting in some areas.
  -- my Muslim Egyptian patterned mittens with gauntlets, warm and fuzzy - indigo and off-white wool with Medieval Egyptian patterns in a folk shape utilizing traditional techniques. I finished the pair in February '00.
• The Latest Projects as of April 2000 when this web page was renovated. Those projects included
  -- a pointy hat - a conical Andalusian-style with a ball on top, in off-white and shades of blue, made in March '00. I knit it in slightly more than one night for wearing under my turban. The shape and the ball on top are authentic. The pattern is not, but is related to Medieval Egyptian patterns, so it doesn't look out of place.
  -- Arm Warmers - sometimes called "scoggers", which are separate knit sleeves. They were almost done in May '00. I knit them in fine Shetland wool, utilizing Medieval Egyptian patterns in many colors, including 3-strand color sections as well as intarsia within circular knitting.

Bad News... While i was getting ready to load my friend's van to go to Beltane, in May of 2000, someone stole a whole bunch of my camping gear and SCA stuff off my front porch. Besides almost all my garb, which while not fancy was comfy, some weaving and dyeing, and stuff totalling a few thousand dollars to replace, all my knitting, except the pouch, was taken. I am certain that the guy who took it thought he was getting valuable yuppie stuff - i bet he was pissed when it only turned out to be my SCA costumes, weaving, and knitting... I'm sure he tossed it in a dumpster with a curse.

Because i was teaching a class on Medieval Egyptian knitting at the Spring Kingdom Collegium at the end of May, in the following 3 weeks i knit two different styled socks of natural-white and indigo colored cotton - one like the blue-and-white "Allah" stocking and another in natural-white and two shades of indigo, with complex patterned stripes. I was so disheartened at the loss - and with the great expense of replacing what could be replaced - i didn't knit again until late in 2000, when I made a new hat, similar to, but different from, the one displayed here - the headband part included an actual Medieval Egyptian pattern (and i can't find it now (sigh)).

The pouch wasn't stolen, as it was at a textile exhibit, and i still have it. But i haven't replaced all the other stuff, although i have continued to knit mundane stuff. I made a pair of sleeves from space-dyed cotton yarn to wear under my "mundane" dresses, and i made a pair of mittens with space-dyed Koigu merino wool yarns, also for "mundane" wear. I did make a very complex pair of reproduction Muslim Egyptian cotton stockings, but i seem to have lost them - i keep hoping they'll turn up - they tooks many months to make...

Reminder, my 21 newer projects can be seen in the Annex to Dar Anahita