From the linens of medieval Egypt to the silks and velvets of the Ottoman empire, textiles produced in the heartlands of the Islamic world have for centuries been highly valued. Whether offered as tribute, worn to express status or belief, or simply bought and sold by merchants and travellers from many countries, textiles have played an important cultural and economic role in Islamic society, where often a majority of the population earned a living from their manufacture and trade. The distinctive patterns and motifs were also to have an effect on European design.