Kashan is located in central Iran. It is one of the oldest towns in Persia and is named after its original inhabitants the ‘Kasian’ people, whose remains can be found in the Tepe Sialk which dates back to 6,000BC. Recently, Kashan rugs have been given as wedding presents from the bride's parents to the newly wed couple, this is to represent eternal life and their eternal love.
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Have you ever wondered how Persians determine the quality of a rug? For centuries, two methods passed down between generations have have been used as the definitive methods of measuring the quality of the weave of a rug. By following the steps below you can learn one of the oldest secrets of the Bazaar.
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Qashqai rugs are woven by the notoriously colourful Qashqai tribe- Iran's last roaming tribe in existence. Almost completely self-sufficient, they rely upon the health and well-being of their flock, which provides the invaluable wool from which they produce beautiful hand-woven rugs, saddle bags and more to trade with nearby towns and cities.
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Knotting
Each rug is made up of a series of knots running horizontally along the warp, these are visible on the rug's reverse side.
Fringe
The fringe is the exposed area of the 'warp strings'. These strings run through the entire length of the rug.
Selvedge
This is the bound edge along the width of the rug. The selvedge prevents materials from fraying or unravelling.
Qum (also spelled Qom) is located in central Iran, 100km south of the capital city, Tehran. As the 8th largest city in the country, its weavers are well-educated and they produce rugs to a very high standard despite being relatively new to the industry- only around 100 years ago did the city's production of silk and wool carpets begin.
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Opulent and alluring, Persian carpets were being produced even before the first Persian Empire was built. Their popularity in the west first flourished during the Safavid period (1501-1722) and, despite modern day sanctions, the trade remains one of Iran’s largest foreign exports.
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Carpets carrying the Sherkat-e-Farsh name represent an extremely high and consistent level of craftsmanship within the Persian carpet weaving industry. Sherkat-e-Farsh first began as a government led initiative under the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi, who ruled Iran from 1925-1941. The scheme brought together a panel of expert weavers and industry advisors from each major region to represent their unique techniques and production methods. This collaboration led to an agreed standard of quality and an advancement of carpet production in the country.
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The city of Nain is located 90 miles east of Isfahan- the former capital of Iran. The city once had a thriving cloth weaving industry but since a decline in demand in the early 20th century, the region has been better known for its production of fine Persian carpets.
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(Picture taken from Jon Thompson's Carpets From the Tents, Cottages and workshops of Asia)
Heriz is a small town situated in the North West of Iran, about 112KM northeast of Tabriz. Heriz rugs are known for their geometric designs and grandeur, but have not always been this way. Early silk Heriz carpets dating back to the 18th Century have been shown to be extremely intricate and advanced in their knotting techniques and detailing, being in design and quality very similar to Tabriz carpets.
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Bakhtiyar (Bakhtiari) rugs are woven by a collection of tribes that once roamed through the Chaharmahal Va Bakhtiyari province of western Iran (photographed by Iman Fazeli Farsani). As with the majority of Iran’s roaming tribes they settled in the 1900s. Despite assimilation into modern day Iran, they still hold on to distinct traditions and lifestyles, as visible in the individuality of their rugs.
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