Mamluks were a formidable warrior class in the Arab world from around the ninth century to the nineteenth, and it is after them for whom these rugs are named. The style originated in Egypt around the 15th century, and were were prized luxury imports during the renaissance period, appearing in Venetian paintings as early as the 16th century. Mamluk rugs are characterised by their distinctive, almost circular central motif, around which are usually placed similar geometric motifs echoing the centre.
