Brocade, atlas and damask - these costly fabrics have been directly related to Syria's textile luxury. The wealth and reputation of Syrian cities and their suqs were based on them, and their variety and fine quality have aroused admi­ration and enthusiasm in visitors of all periods.

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The warp-layer (al-musaddi)
The work of a musaddi includes the dividing up of the warp threads into the heddle warps and shed stick warps, the making of the crossing between these, the counting of the warp threads and the measuring of the length of warp desired (e.g. 260 metres).

For these tasks the warp-layer uses two pieces of equip­ment.
As soon as the musaddi has finished his work the hanks of yarn are sent to the ikateur (rabbat), the dyer (sabbag) or straight to the leash- threader {mulgi}, depending on the what they are to be used for.

The ikateur (arrabbat)
If the thread is to be used for ikat fabrics the rabbat begins by tying it to form the particular patterns. A number of skeins, which are not intended for ikat, are dyed before­hand.for ikat patterns the undyed skeins of thread are stretched out (along a garden wall, for example) and then tied at particular places. When all the skeins have been bound the are sent to the dyer. They are dyed as many times as there are colors required for the ikat pattern (e.g. red, yellow, blue). When the tying and dyeing are finished the skeins are dipped in starch and then stretched out to dry. The skeins are lined up, for the sets to be counted the damaged fibers to be bound and repaired. When the skeins are finally repaired and dried, they are wound up according to the patterns (centre or side panels of the fabric to be woven) meter by meter into skeins and taken to the work­shop of the leash-threader {mulqi}.

The leash-threader (al-malqi)
The mulqfs task is to thread the individual warp threads through the leashes of the loom shafts and the reed holes of the comb. He does this not only for ikat weavers but for all other fabrics made on hand-looms of all constructions. His work demands a very special sensitivity, especially where ikat fabrics are concerned. As soon as he has the formation of the pattern clearly in his mind he spreads the skeins with the ikat patterns out on the ground and arranges them in the order of the pattern to appear on the finished cloth. The number of shafts varies from four to twelve, depending on the weave and the pattern of the fabric. To draw the warp threads through the leashes the mulqi requires one assis­tant.
They sit opposite each other with the suspended heddle rods (four for plain weave) fixed between them and the warp threads ready in separate sets. The mulqi opens the leashes and takes the thread held out to him by his assistant. He runs the thread through for about 20 cm and then lets go of the two leashes. He repeats this procedure until all the warps are threaded through the leashes. (For a bath cloth approximately 1.16 meters wide, 2800 warp threads are needed.) When the warp threads have been drawn through the shafts, the same method is used to run the threads through the reed holes of the metal comb. The comb takes the place of the shafts and is secured. To pass the threads through the reed holes of the comb the leash-threader now uses a notched knife. The assistant takes the first thread and places it on the notch of the knife which the mulqi t\\en puts it through the reed hole. In this way all the warp threads are threaded through the comb in the correct order, and the leash-threader's task is done.

After the removal of the leash shafts from the comb, the whole ensemble (hanks of warp thread, threaded heddle rods and comb) is taken to the weaver.