paper made in the city [Damascus]

Evidence

"As Sātī wrote in the second volume of the 1368 Dīvān, he purchased paper made in the city [Damascus]."

Remarks

The author identifies an inscription in the second volume of the 1368 Dīvān (Mevlana Müzesi, Konya, 75) stating the paper was purchased in Damascus (p. 268). The text suggests that the mention of the paper's origin was unusual or noteworthy, possibly indicating its high quality or a specific trade connection (p. 268). It is hypothesized that if Sātī was in Damascus to purchase paper, he might have commissioned manuscripts there from the scribe Ḥasan ibn ʿUthmān al-Mawlawī and a binder from Hama named Abū Bakr al-Mujallidī al-Mawlawī al-Ḥamawī (p. 268). This period in the late 14th century saw Erzincan as a major stop on trade routes from Ayas to Tabriz, facilitating such material movement (p. 263).