Ghiyāth al-Din Naqshband-i Yazdi and textile manufacturing of Yazd in the Safavid times

The growing power of the Safavid state under such kings as Shah Abbas the Great led to political unification, a boom in commerce, and enhanced security of roads. Craft industries flourished in particular in the early seventeenth century AD. Thanks to the royal support of textile and increased number of textile manufacturers, the industry gradually reached its pinnacle in the Persian history.Yazd, with its history of weaving high quality fabrics tracing as back as the early Islamic period and renowned from the Ilkhanid era onward as a major center of fabric weaving along with Tabriz and Isfahan, reached such a great position that an officer under the title of Körk Yarai was assigned to purchase the required textiles of the market from Yazd. The support of the central government forweaving workshops boosted employment in the industry and a prominent designer like Ghiyth al-Din Naqshband who is unique in Persian weaving history emerged. He immigrated to Isfahan and was put in charge of fabric weaving workshops. This made him the most prominent fabric designer in Persia. Two technical innovations happened in designing and weaving velvet and multiplelayeredfabric in Safavid era, both of which were initiated by Naghshband. Khwja Ghiyth who was a contemporary of Shah Abbas the Great and a descendent of Mevlana Kamal Khttt, also known as Aththr, a famous calligrapher of his day. Ghiyth al-Din is said to have inherited his artistic talent from his great grandfather. Ghiyth al-Din was both a designer and a talented poet. Majma’ al-Khavs, Tazkira of Nasrbdi, Tazkira of Atashkade Azar, and Trikh-e Yazd by Ahmad Theri, among others give a short biography of this artisan. His most detailed account, however, can be found in Jame’ Mofidi which is quoted in Trikh-e Yazd. Overall, two artistic styles can be distinguished in the textile industry of the Safavid period: one led by Ghiyth al-Din and the other by Reza Abbasi, a well-known contemporary painter.