Stylistic artist's rendition of the silk striped coat from Safsaf in northern Palestine. Until the 1950s, the fabric for these coats originated in Allepo, which was able to maintain its position as a center of textile production until the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1820 forty thousand workers were employed in the production of silk in the atlas and striped styles. But seventy years later, only half that many were still employed at weaving.

In the souks of Syria, cloth for sewing a qumbaz was sold by a predetermined length called the saye. The very desired atlas silk is called qutni, and the cotton immitation is called dima.

Joseph's coat of many colors from the Bible's Old Testament is most certainly a striped qumbaz.