This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in: English, Arabic.

Name of Object:

Mahmal

Location:

Shahaniya, Qatar

Holding Museum:

FBQ Museum

About FBQ Museum, Shahaniya

Current Owner:

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani

Date of Object:

19th century

Museum Inventory Number:

FBQ.HH.403

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Cotton, silk, gold, silver; embroidery

Dimensions:

Length: 164cm, Width: 130cm, Height: 148.5cm

Period / Dynasty:

Ottoman

Place of production:

Turkey

Provenance:

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mecca

Description:

This ceremonial mahmal consists of a tent-like cotton cloth embroidered with gold and silver threads. Placed upon a wooden frame (litter) on a camel’s back, the mahmal would bear the kiswa (Kaaba covering) and other religious items to Mecca in a pilgrimage procession.

This example from Ottoman Turkey features the Mamluk yellow colour embellished with the Throne verse (Ayat al-Kursi), the Muslim invocation (Basmala), and the declaration of faith (Shahada) in thuluth calligraphy. The signature of the Ottoman sultan is visible in tughra script.

During the hajj or pilgrimage season, the caravan would parade the streets of Cairo in a festival accompanied by musicians before embarking on the journey to Saudi Arabia. The mahmal reminds of a wedding procession and carries feminine connotations through its familiarity with the howdaj used to transport women hidden away from the public eye.

Muslim rulers would commission a mahmal in an opportunity to highlight their sovereignty, taste and piety. Although the legend of Mamluk Sultanah Fatima Shajarat al-Durr associated the ruler with the first mahmal, scholars debate the first appearance with earlier references recounting Zubaydah, the wife of Harum al Rashid, using a palanquin in a pilgrimage procession from Baghdad to Mecca.

How date and origin were established:

The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, embroidery and style.

How Object was obtained:

Purchase

How provenance was established:

This mahmal was used to carry the kiswa to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Selected bibliography:

Behrens-Abouseif, D., "The mahmal legend and the pilgrimage of the ladies of the Mamluk court", Mamluk Studies Review, 1 (1997): 87–96.
Sardi, M., "Weaving for the Hajj under the Mamluks", The Hajj: Collected Essays, (2013): 169-174.
Wasti, S. T., "The Ottoman Ceremony of the Royal Purse:, Middle Eastern Studies, 41 : 2 (2005): 193–200.
Young, W., "The Kaʿba, Gender, and the Rites of Pilgrimage", International Journal of Middle East Studies, 25: 2 (1993): 285–300.

Citation of this web page:

Sarah Schroeder "Mahmal" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2025.
https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;qt;Mus22;41;en

Prepared by: Sarah Schroeder
Copyedited by: Janice MedinaJanice Medina

Janice Medina is an artist and educator based in Upstate New York. She studied interior design at Syracuse University and obtained her M.S. in Building Conservation in 2008 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) and Master of Fine Arts in 2019 (University at Albany).

Janice is a former participant in the US/ICOMOS International Exchange Program and she has taught courses in the history of design and historic preservation. Her artwork is influenced by her experiences in historic preservation, as well as by building materials and the natural environment.

Janice has participated as a copy-editor with Museum With No Frontiers since 2019. In this role she has had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects including Discover Islamic Art, Discover Baroque Art and Discover Glass Art.

MWNF Working Number: QT2 41