Textile material from Old Dongola: preliminary observations on trade and sartorial practices in the Ottoman period

Abstract

The paper presents the textile material retrieved from the so-called House of the Mekk, which appears as one of the most important compounds (by size and intricate plan) of the Funj period, established in the Old Dongola citadel. The general typology of the textiles, representative of an urban settlement, is presented and two study-cases (piece-dyed blue cottons and fabrics decorated with plaid-effect pattern in white and blue) are further discussed. The textile analysis is complemented by written sources of various kinds (court registers, traveler's accounts) to provide information about trade routes and goods and also to offer a preliminary picture of the sartorial practices of the elite at Old Dongola during the Ottoman period.

Keywords

• Dongola
• blue-dyed cotton
• plaid-effect pattern
• trade
• sartorial practices