Mamluk medallion carpet, 16th century, probably Cairo. Florence, Museo Bardini.

Even before the Ottomans conquered Egypt in 1517 under the Mamluk dynasty (of Turkic origin), the impressive workshops of Cairo were already in operation, manufacturing carpets using the aymmetrical knot, which were later called 'Mamluk' for the name of the rulers. These carpets had a very particular geometric style based on the close arrangement of geometric figures of different shapes. The basic polygons in the above carpet are the octagon and the square; they are repeated concentrically inside the medallion and arranged, in smaller sizes, one next to the other in the field. This produces a singular kaleidoscopic effect typical of this carpt style, even though the number of colors used in limited.