Rugs and carpets are a language; they speak to us through their many warps and wefts, and for those who know how to listen, this is a magnificent story of love and endurance or a very long time.
As soon as the human beings settled down and started living outside the caves, they must have started to think about creating something they could put on the floor and sat on it; this might have had a plentiful of reasons such as getting more comfortable at a place, having a place a bit cleaner than the other parts of the house where they can easily eat or sleep. It might have also helped them a lot in keeping warmer at nights and during the cold seasons.
Which one of these reasons is true, or all of them being applicable altogether, the result remains the same; human beings started to think about what in their surroundings exists that can be used to create something, and that something has come such a long way to be what it is today, a carpet.
It is inevitable that among many countries in the world, it is in almost neighboring countries like Iran, India, Turkey, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China that the most famous carpets of the world have been made throughout time because of their long history and settlement of humanity in them for ages, the development of carpet weaving has had its complete cycle. These countries are known in the world by the name of the “Rug Belt”, each has its own stories to tell. However, in this blog, we will be focusing on Persian rugs and Persian carpets and their many tales on how they have come to be, how their journey has been, and where they are right now.
Different Cities; Different Rug Styles and Carpet Patterns
Iran is a vast country with diverse climates and various customs and traditions practiced by more than 80 million people. With the vastness and diversity comes different yet beautiful traditions and lifestyles that are captivating enough to get any visitors’ attention fully and leave a significant mark on their minds all at the same time.
Through this vast land, many cities are well known for their art of carpet weaving. One of the fascinating facts is that, although one may look and find these carpets somehow similar as they use certain materials such as wool and silk and dye the colors naturally, be it their texture or their styles, if you take a closer look, you realize that each city has their own stories to tell and are indeed very much different from the others.
Turkmen Carpets and Rug Styles
Tabriz Carpets and Their Unique Patterns
One of the most famous Persian carpets throughout the whole world comes from the city of Tabriz in the northwest of Iran. These luxurious, elegant, mainly silk carpets are known for their detailed, delicate Persian patterns and styles. These carpets are mostly so thin that they can also be used as paintings, hung on the walls; and this is something that their styles allow as well.
This is mainly in the carpets designed and made in the city of Tabriz that we see more realistic and diverse rug styles such as people’s faces on the carpets, and it is due to the fabrics being used, which are mostly silk that allows more details and precise designs to be made and then the usage of Tabriz carpets as being so luxurious and elegant to be presented as a gift, something that has always happened throughout history and is one of the reasons for Persian carpets’ popularity in the world at the first place.
Ardabil Carpets and Rugs
As we move from the city of Tabriz and its suburbs towards the center of Iran, the art of carpet weaving continues just as strongly, but the textures and materials being used start to differ. The beautiful city of Ardabil, with its mountains and plates, has always given the chance of breeding cattle; and when it comes to getting the suitable material for carpet weaving, wool is appropriate.
Although there are carpets and rugs being made solely out of wool, in most of the cities from now on in our introduction, wool and silk are used together. Just the extent of using one item might be different from one place to the other. The city of Ardabil is known for many things, it is also known for producing some of the most famous Persian carpets in history, some of them being kept in Art Museums, such as the one in Vienna.
Qom and Kashan Carpets
Located almost at the center of Iran, the cities of Qom and Kashan are famous for their unique carpets throughout the world. The main material being used in these cities to weave carpets is wool, yet the final result is so delicately done that they can be easily mistaken for purely silk carpets.
One of the other characteristics that sets these carpets apart is their patterns and styles; the unique shapes of the round and square of these carpets include so many symmetrical, garden and vase designs that can meet every taste and fit into every home.
In the city of Kashan, carpet weaving has a tradition of going down through generations and being carried out mainly by women, which has itself become a tourist attraction alongside the carpets themselves.
If you wish to purchase a Persian carpet, you can contact us, and we will introduce you to the best carpet sellers and importers. We can also help you get your beautiful Persian carpet delivered.
Isfahan and Nain Carpets
Further and further into the heart of Iran lies the ancient, historical city of Isfahan with its many monuments and old palaces. This city, throughout history, has always been one of the most important cities of Iran and has become home to many artists and showcased their art in its very long history, and carpet weaving is one of them.
Mostly made out of wool, the designs of Isfahan carpets are what has given it this much attention. The beautiful tile designs of Isfahan’s magnificent mosques have found their way into the artistic carpet patterns and have been decorating the homes of Iranians and non-Iranians for such a long time.
Nain is a small city near Isfahan and is very famous for its carpets as they are made with so much delicacy and technique. Like the Isfahan carpets, they are mostly made out of wool, and the two cities also share many designs, including the famous vase designs.
Kerman Carpets and Rugs
Located at the east of Iran, the city of Kerman borders the great Iranian deserts but is the home to so many beautiful flower gardens and mountaintops covered in flowers. This diverse capability of the city of Kerman has influenced and shaped the traditions and customs of this city. One who lives close to the desert knows the art of endurance more than anyone else, and endurance is one of the first qualities carpet experts give to Kerman carpets and rugs. Their beautiful mountain tops covered in flowers and their renowned gardens can be seen in their designs for their carpets patterns and rug styles which are mostly made out of wool.
Tribal Rugs and Carpets
Nowadays, very sought-after tribal rugs of Iran have always been so famous among Iranians for their high quality and, of course, the stories they tell inside their patterns.
Carpet weaving is mainly the task of women in the tribes, as they use wool to make their carpets, they weave their dreams and visions, which is the quality that sets these carpets apart from the rest of the world.
Persian carpets are unique for all the reasons listed in this blog and more. They are recognized by their high number of knots per square and their diverse textures that create different carpet types such as Farsh, Qali, Gilim, Gabbeh, and Jajim. They are known for their varied designs, such as the vase, the garden, the mosque, or the symmetrical designs. And last but not least, they are known for the stories they tell, the life and adventures of Iranians through millennia.
resources: Kimia Raghebi, “A Detailed Guide to Persian Rug Styles of Various Cities of Iran”, www.visitouriran.com
