Note to the Reader
The reader will find the text replete with technical terms and foreign names of garments and textiles. In the absence of a precise interpretation of such terms, it is preferable to keep these terms as names in their original wording and interpret them whenever possible, rather than impose a translation that could be confusing and may be debatable. This will allow the reader to relate the terms to their context and to follow their evolution, which is an essential aspect of this study.
Terms that cannot be explained or translated are followed by a question mark.
The term ‘Mamluk’ has been used without transliteration when it refers to the period and the institution and its culture in the general sense. ‘Mamlūk’ with transliteration is used to describe specifically the military recruits under the system.