Souqs during the Mameluke era

The Mameluke era represented the political and economic zenith of the Egypto-Levant region. Following a turbulent period, the re-establishment of political stability under Mameluke rule was accompanied by the recapturing of control of vital trade routes and port cities conducive to international commerce. This facilitated the deluge of merchandise through travel passages and caravans from and to the Mameluke-controlled portal cities around the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and freshly secured land routes in Africa, the Levant, Anatolia, and Arabia, leading further along the Silk Road.

The flow of goods in Mameluke markets was tied to the standard of living, the population’s basic needs and customs, and the state’s commercial activity. The principal commercial commodities exchanged in Egyptian Mameluke souqs were grains, animal fodder, meat, spices, fabrics, oils, fruits, and minerals, in addition to other types of merchandise such as seeds, Egyptian-adapted seeds, wood, paper, glass, amber, hash, weapons, ornaments (jewelry), and medicinal herbs that are greatly needed in times of diseases and epidemics.

During the Mameluke period, the reciprocal inter-commercial relationship between the Levant and Egypt was at its acme. The major commodities exported by the Levant to Egypt were sheep, horses, soap, paper made in Damascus and Hama, rosewater, wood, and textiles from Hama, Safad, and Ba’albaak. The agricultural industry in the Levant was very sophisticated, and they exported many crops to their Egyptian neighbors, like fruits (grapes, carob, apples, pears, figs, dates, peach, pomegranate, and quince), nuts (almonds, pistachios, and walnuts), oil, and molasses.

In an amusing historical anecdote, al Badri recounts the ten main Levantine exports to Egypt that coincidentally all started with the letter (qaf) in Arabic: qasab al thahab (goldwork), quba’ (caps), qardiya (labdanum), qurtas (parchment), qus (cross-bows), qubqab (wooden clogs), qarasiya (prunes), qamar ed-din min al-mishmish (dried apricots), qarisha (cottage cheese), and qanbaris (damascene soft yoghurt cheese). The Levant was also Egypt’s primary supplier of ice since its climate was not conducive to ice formation, unlike the northern parts of Lebanon and Syria, where mountainous regions regularly collect snow. They were usually carried by ships or camel caravans to the Egyptian mainland.

In reverse, the Levant imported melons, colorful linen cloth, rice, wicker mats, cows, taro, fish, and prime-quality emeralds, which were only mined in Egypt. The disparity in the scope and proportion of exports between the two regions is owed to Egypt having a substantially larger population to cater to than the Levant and the concentration of the governmental complexes, military garrisons, and the entirety of the administrative and bureaucratic branches in the Mameluke Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The designation “the Fertile Crescent” remains a fitting description of the Levant’s rich agricultural potential and its diverse ecosystem that supported the cultivation of an array of crops and livestock throughout history. These products were exported throughout the region and were pivotal in the global trade network.

Al-Maqrizi recounts the several kinds of major souqs during the Bahri Mameluke period in which lesser souqs that were more specialized were subsumed. For example, there were souqs for poultry (souq a-dajjajeen) in which an array of poultices for consumption were sold, like chickens, hens, ducks, and rabbits, and also souqs for various kinds of birds like pigeons (a special delicacy in the Egyptian cuisine) and quails, and ornamental pet birds that people bought for their children were sold there.

Clothing souqs were designated for selling a specific clothing article or a congregation of related items like souq Al-khila’aeen (honorary robes market), where ceremonial garments and robes of the elites and officialdom were sold, and later in the 15th century, ready-made garments began to be sold there as well. There was Souq Al-Hawa’iseen (girdles market), especially those of precious gold or silver worn by soldiers, yet due to the economy’s deterioration, these markets were rendered nearly extinct. They were turned into souqs for selling young children’s caps and coifs (Souq Al-Bukhnuqiin) and Souq A-sharbusheen (Sharbush Market), selling the triangular fur-trimmed hats popular in the Bahri Mameluke era. 

Import and export during the Abbasid and Mamluk era:

Imports to the Baghdadi souqs from different countries during the first Abbasid era:

Country	Imports to Baghdadi markets from (…)
India	Gemstones, perfumes, cloves, peppercorns, coconut, velvet textiles, colorful izars (sarongs), indigo dye, lead, arrows, swords, and drugs.
China	Silk and brocade garments, saddles, high-quality paper, ink, perfumes (especially musk), oud, cinnamon, slavegirls, gold and silver vessels, china, locks, and drugs.
Central Asia	Tibetan musk, Samarkand paper, fox furs, squirrel furs, mink furs, leathers, shields, swords, lead, copper, metal, clothing, prayer mats, fish glue, fish tooth, honey, hazelnuts, slaves (especially of Turkic descent), large cauldrons, cattle, and cows.
Iran	Garments from Merv, carpets, luxurious silk, kerchiefs, saffron, pomegranate, variegated garments, woolen cowls, veils, peaches, mercury, weapons, translucent garments, combs, caps, Attabi (stripped silk) garments, linen, honey, quince, pears, apples, salt, ushnan (potash), ceruse, Kohl, fruit juice, lily oil, jasmine oil, pistachios, glass, sugar, khazz garments, high-quality wall hangings, gemstones, Kāshān tiles, and clay.
Yemen	Yemeni cloaks, tanned leather, Frankincense, Agate, Flemingia Grahamiana (wars), giraffes, buffaloes, mules, donkeys, variegated garments and other kinds, ambergris, medicine, and tufted shoes.
The Arabian Peninsula	Arabian horses, ostriches, refined camels, tanned leather, white clay, and medicine.
The Levant	Pulses, fruits, olive oil, glass vessels, and textiles.
Armenia	Felts, mats, fine carpets, wool, cushions, fish, silk, girdles, salt, and mules.
Byzantium	Roman and Sicilian slavegirls, silver and gold vessels, pure dinars, perfumes, brocade, linen garments, rugs, girdles, khazz leather, gemstones, secure locks, drugs, fur or animal hair, coral, mantles, and fine carpets.
East Africa	Cactus, drugs, black slaves, ivory, gold powder, dark ambergris, and spices.
Egypt	Translucent garments, and famous textiles like dabiqi, parchment, wall hangings, carpets, Elder oil, flour, minerals, donkeys, and mules.
Morocco and Andalusia	Tigers, felt textiles, ambergris, mercury, coverings, fine carpets, felts, mattresses, wool, khazz (a type of fabric made from a blend of silk and wool), beasts of burden, especially mules.

 

Merchandise in the Egyptian Markets During the Second Mameluke State 1250–1382:

 

Merchandise Categories	Sub-categories	country/region imported from
Grains	Beans, wheat, and barely	Local: from Sai’d (Upper Egypt) – Reeff (countryside) Regional: Levant (Ramla, Houran, Balqa’), and Cyprus.
	animal feed	Local: from the suburbs surrounding Cairo, the countryside and Sai’d (Upper Egypt)>
Fruits	apricots, apples, figs, grapes, pears, peaches, melons, pomegranate, naranj (oranges), and bananas.	Local: the suburbs and the countryside
Oils and fats	Balsam oil	made local
	Olive oil	made local in Faiyum Regional: the Levant, Sfax (Tunisia)
	sesame oil (shiraj), linseed oil, and radish oil.	made local
	Ghee	made local
Minerals	Alum	local: Oasis regions and Sa’id (Upper Egypt)
	Natron	local: Beheria
	Salts	local: Buqeir Regional: Cyprus
	Copper & sulfur	local
	Gold nuggets	Regional: Bilad At-Takrur (a region in West Africa corresponding to modern-day Senegal)
Gemstones	Zumurd (Emerald) Lu’lu’ (Pearl)   Yaqut (Ruby) Fairouz (turquoise) ‘aqiq (Carnelian)   Thahab (Gold)	local: Qus desert | Regional: local: Red Sea Port| Regional: India and the shores of Khark Island (Iran) local | regional: Sri Lanka regional: India and the Indus Valley (Pakistan)   Local: Nubia | regional: Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, comoros, Multan (Pakistan)
Paper		made locally but imported from other regions: Baghdad and the Levant
Textiles		Local: silk, cotton, and linen textiles Colored wool, colored silks, furs (minks, squirrels, and caracal), Dabiqi silks, and clothes from Mosul. Regional: Ventcian broadcloth  patterned Satins and velvets from Europe Broadcloth from Ba’albak (Lebanon)
Wood		local: Sa’id (Acacia wood) Regional: from the Syrian Golan Heights, Europe by Venetian merchants, Ethiopia (Ebony), Mecca (doum palm and juniper), India (teak wood), Rome (pine wood)
Sugar		Local: from the countryside, suburbs of Alexandria and Damietta.
Spices	Ceylon bark/Cassia bark	China, India, and Sri Lanka
	Pepper	Indonesia and India
	Cloves	India and the Chinese Isles
	Ginger	Indonesia and India
Drugs	Myrobalan and camphor	East Indies
	Rheum	made in Central Asia