After the Ottoman Empire conquered Egypt in 1517, a carpet manufactory was founded in Cairo that followed on from the previous Mamluk period with the same weaving technique, wools and colours but new patterns inspired by the floral style of the court.

The Ottoman Egyptian production differs from the Anatolian, being characterised by asymmetrical rather than symmetrical knots, as in practically all Turkish carpets, and by the silken quality of the wool, which was spun in a different way and so highly prized at the time as to be imported into Turkey for the imperial manufactories. The naturalistic style of these carpets is also to be found in other products of the same period such as silks (kemhe) and velvets (çatma) as well as Ottoman Iznik ceramics. While the initial production consisted of large carpets for the court, the finest of which could have a warp and weft of silk and a pile of wool and cotton, commercial items made entirely of wool for trade began to appear in the second half of the 16th century.

The carpets of this period were often exported to Europe, where they were highly prized and used both on the floor and to cover tables, as attested by known specimens woven in the shape of a circle or a cross for the latter purpose. The typical design presents a small
green circular medallion in the centre, blue spandrels and a border richly decorated with palmettes and sickleshaped saz leaves.

Alberto Boralevi