By Salwa Samir The awe-inspiring rococo interior of the 20th Century Aisha Fahmy Palace in Zamalek is the backdrop for an exhibition entitled "Treasures of Our Art Museums: Masterpieces of Coptic and Islamic Textiles". On display for the first time in the grand salons of the Palace, resplendent with silk-clad walls, is a collection of textiles.The collection adds grandeur to this historic Palace that belonged to Ali Fahmy, who was King Farouk's army chief. He named it after his daughter. The Palace is now known as the Arts Centre. Visitors can see the skill and artistry used in weaving textiles in the Coptic and Islamic periods. During the two eras, textiles were the focus of a great deal of attention and weavers reached a peak of creativity in terms of design, choice of material and decorative elements. The collection which is on display was taken from the Gezira Museum in Cairo. The historical roots of this art date back to Ancient Egypt. There are scenes of the spinning and weaving of linen on the walls of the tombs in Luxor. The ancient Egyptians used textiles in their funeral rites and linen strips were used during the mummification process. In Coptic times, designers traced the Pharaonic legends and developed them to serve the Christian religion. On display is a canvas in which a knight on a horse is depicted capturing his prey. The canvas was inspired by the legend of Horus attacking the god of evil Seth, to signify the ability of religion to save the world from evil. Woven into the textiles from the Coptic are motifs of primitive animals and birds, half-human figures, knights and botanical and geometric patterns. There is a canvas dating back to the 6th Century depicting two Abyssinian children. A Coptic-Egyptian mesh textile of the 7th Century is also on display. And there is a canvas from the 5th Century measuring 22x10cms, and a fragment of a Coptic-Byzantine shirt from the 6th Century measuring 114x37cm. The textile industry continued to develop during the Ottoman era and was widespread in Egypt, Turkey, the Levant and North Africa. The textiles were characterised by a diversity of motifs which were naturalistic, representing flowers or compound leaves. The Ottomans wove the Kiswah of the Kaaba and the covers of shrines, which included inscriptions of Quranic verses and the sayings of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him). Visitors to the exhibition will notice how the weavers largely used the same raw materials. Starting in the 4th Century, the use of silk became widespread. Egypt knew the manufacture of silk textiles starting with the Ptolemaic dynasty, and Alexandria was famous for producing the Roman emperors' clothes. During the Islamic era, the silk industry flourished in Sicily and Egypt during the Ayyubid and Mamluke periods. On display are: a colourful sofa cover from India dating back to the 19th Century, a square tablecloth from the 18th Century and the huge cover of a mihrab (pulpit) from the 18th Century, measuring 305x165cms. "I have never seen an example of weaving as magnificent as this before. It shows just how clever and ingenious the weavers were," Rana told the Egyptian Mail, as she contemplated a prayer rug with Quranic verses intricately woven into the design, dating back to the 16th Century. "I am really pleased, as a member of the public, to be able to see these treasures made by our ancient artisans, for free," Rana said, as she photographed the work of art. The exhibition is open daily from 9am to 9pm except Fridays. It will run until April 12.
