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1. Medieval Islamic WorldThe Jews of the Muslim world, and especially the women, were meticulous about facial and bodily adornments. This thoroughness was regarded positively by sages such as Maimonides, who stated that a husband was required to provide his wife with the necessary means to cultivate her appearance and make herself attractive to him ( Code, bk. IV, Marriage 13:1–5). The Cairo Geniza is the primary source of historical documentation on Jewish attire in the Islamic Mediterranean during the Fatimid and Ayyubid periods (969–1250), and to a lesser extent for the Mamluk peri…

1. Medieval PeriodThe institution of marriage in the Jewish communities of the medieval Islamic world followed the basic rules and customs prescribed in the Talmud. These were often blended with local customs and conditions, depending on place and time. The main sources on Jewish marriage in medieval Middle Eastern and North African communities, in addition to the rabbinic literature, are the actual marriage and betrothal contracts preserved in the Cairo Geniza.      Marriage involves a change in the personal status of a man and a woman from bachelorhood to matrimony tha…