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.
Read moreAn Introduction to Persian Rugs
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.
Read moreSherkat-e-Farsh: The Definitive Guide
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.
Read moreNain Rugs: The Definitive Guide
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.
Read moreHeriz Rugs: The Definitive Guide
(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.
Read moreBakhtiyar Rugs: The Definitive Guide
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.
Read moreSeneh Rugs and Kilims: The Definitive Guide
Senneh (Seneh), now modern day Sanandaj is located in the West of Iran, the Kurdish province. The production of rugs started in the early Classical period, and even possibly before then. The city of Sanadaj was only a small town until the 17th Century, when the then Govenor of the city renovated the town’s fortress (Sena Dezh), which dates back to the Abbassid period (750AD – 1258AD).
Read morePersian Rugs: The Weaving Process
Rug weaving has been a tradition long held in the homes of many families across Asia, specifically in Iran, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Turkey & China. Whilst the materials used, designs and knotting techniques are extremely varied across these regions and even within these regions, one aspect of them is always consistent. They are all hand-woven on looms for months or even years on end.
Read moreTabriz Rugs: The Definitive Guide
The city of Tabriz is situated in North Western Iran, in the Azerbaijani province. Known for being one of the oldest rug weaving centers and producing some of the finest quality Persian rugs with a symmetrical knot instead of an asymmetrical knot like the rest of Persia. It is believed that Tabriz rugs reached their zenith between the 12th & 16th Century during the golden era of Persian Rugs.
Read moreSarouq Rugs: The Definitive Guide
Sarouq (Sarouk) rugs are woven in the small town of Saruk, Central Persia, around 30 miles north of Sultanabad. Sarouq rugs came to fame and large production quantities in the 20th century, Persian rugs had just started to be mass exported to Europe and America, and antique Sarouq rugs had caught the eye of many western buyers.
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