Basra: Cinnabar Makers

Date: 985-91

In his Aḥsan al-taqāsīm fi maʿrifat al-aqālīm, al-Muqaddasi (d. 991) mentions that cinnabar (Mercury [II] sulphide) was produced in Basra. Cinnabar (zinjafar) is a pigment used in the making of red ink and paint. See also: Verdigris Maker; Painter; Paper Maker.