Dyeing was one of the most important crafts in Medieval Armenia. The 13th century historian Kirakos Gandzaketsi mentions about the dyeing artists in his works. When telling about the collection of taxes during the rule of the Mongols, he mentions “Shaparas” (շապարար in Armenian meaning dyer) artisans too among the people who were giving taxes. This testimony of Gandzaketsi confirms the fact that the number of the dyeing artists was large both, in the villages and in the cities and they were forced to pay taxes along with the other craftsmen.
There is also another testimony about this in one of the inscriptions in Ani, which talks about the abolition of taxes in Ani, including the dyers’ taxes.