Brocart Dimashqi (Damascene brocade); the English word 'damask' is itself derived from Damascus, the fabric's city of origin
The hand-weaving of a silky fabric interwoven with silver and gold threads in elaborate designs, produced in Damascus and documented as much sought after through the ages, its appeal undiminished in the modern world. Made from natural silk thread embellished with gold and silver thread, the fabric was for decades used to make luxurious clothing, and continues today to be used for upholstery and fine luxury bags. Damascene brocade holds a documented, notable position in global fashion history: Queen Elizabeth II of Britain is specifically recorded as having chosen it to weave her wedding dress. In Damascus, expert craftsmen and their apprentices continue their ancient trade, easily found working in Souk al-Hamadiyah, the historic 'Street Called Straight,' and the maze of connecting back alleyways, where merchants stand in their shop doorways inviting passersby to enter and observe artisans and apprentices continuing the craft their fathers and grandfathers once practiced. Despite the pressures of modern industry, which have undermined much of the world's handicraft traditions, Damascus's brocade weavers have, to a considerable extent, held mechanization at bay, with their products remaining in demand and as popular today as in past centuries.
Risk level: Critically Endangered · Not independently inscribed
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