An important curtain from the north door (bab tawwasul) of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Ottoman, 19th century

of rectangular form, the black silk ground applied with pistachio green and dove grey silk panels, embroidered with silver and silver-gilt thread with bands of calligraphy in shaped cartouches framed by wreaths, with the names of Allah, Muhammad, 'Abu Bakr, 'Uthman, 'Umar, 'Ali, Hasan and Husayn in coloured roundels, within borders of paired 'C' scrolls, the four corners with flowerheads

inscriptions

Top roundel:
hadhahi al-sitarah al-sharifa li-bab al-tawassul
‘This noble sitarah is for the tawassul gate’
[bab tawwasul  is the door on the northern wall of the Prophet’s mosque in Medina also known as bab al-majidi]

In the cartouche:
Qur’an, surah al-baqara (II), parts of 197

In the two roundels, the shahada:
la ilaha illa allah / muhammad rasul allah
‘There is no God but God, Muhammad is His Messenger"

In the main part:
Qur’an, surah al-hashr (LIX), 22-24.

In the six small roundels:
abu radi allah ‘anhu / ‘umar radi allah ‘anhu / ‘uthman radi allah ‘anhu / ‘ali radi allah ‘anhu / hasan radi allah ‘anhu / husayn radi allah ‘anhu /
‘Abu Bakr may God be pleased with him. ‘Umar may God be pleased with him. ‘Uthman may God be pleased with him. ‘Ali may God be pleased with him. Hasan may God be pleased with him. Husayn may God be pleased with him.’