Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

NAQLUN

EGYPT

Nd.02.173, for example, repeats allah or
bi-llah, in kufi style, accompanied by
a small ornamental cartouche [Fig. 4]- The
inscription is embroidered in thin dark
brown silk and came from a tunic.
Most of these wishes are of a general cha-
racter and may be acceptable for a Christian,

too. But nasr min allah wa-fath qarib is
surely Islamic. This is an essential passage
found in the Quran (sura 61, verse 13).
Thus, it may be said that no explicit
Christian character is visible either in the
ornamental repertoire or the Arabic in-
scriptions.

SHROUDS

In many graves in Naqlun, the burial in-
cluded two shrouds, an inner and outer one.
Different scarves were used as shrouds, ob-
viously depending on the wealth of the de-
ceased. Three different types of decorated
shrouds have been found. One type has the
characteristic tapestry bands of the Fatimid
manufactories. Some of them have simple
pious religious devises as part of the
decoration. An example of this type is the

abovementioned Nd.02.246 [cf. Fig. 3]. It
was an inner shroud and has four small
bands ending in a longed leaf. Two of them
are placed at every end.
The second type of decorated shroud
has single embroidered bands. These em-
broideries are made in a combination of
different techniques and different material:
colored fine silk thread and stronger floss
silk thread, with some natural-colored linen


Fig. 3- Shawl, fragment. Nd.02.246
(Photo T. Szmagier)
6 Cf. Nd.02.245 in: Godlewski, PAM XIV, op. cit., 167, Fig. 3a.

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