RUG INFO

Ancient Period

Pazirik carpet

In a unique archaeological excavation in 1949, the exceptional Pazirik carpet was discovered among the ices of Pazirik  Valley, in Altai Mountains in Siberia. The carpet was found in the grave of a Scythian prince. Radiocarbon testing indicated that the Pazirik  carpet was woven in the 5th century BC. Professor Rodenko, a famous Russian archeologist, found a hand-woven knotted rug, when exploring and digging the frozen graves of Altai mountains. This revolutionized the history of carpet-weaving. Many different tools of hunting and cloth-weaving were found in the Pazirik valley, used as a grave yard at that time. Among the discoveries was a rather square-shaped rug (189 * 200 cms). There are around 3600 knots in one square meter of this rug. The rug is fully made of wool. The warps are a bit tightened and the woofs are loose. The type of knots are Turkish and colors have changed in the course of the time. The colors now are light pink and light green. It must have originally had brighter colors. Laboratory findings show the existence of nil used to give it blue and navy blue colors. There are also kermes acid and

Carminic acid mixed, showing that Cacusse (an insect) has been found to give it a red color. The body of the rug comprises of 24 squares, in each of which there is one eight-faceted star. In the margin, there are animal-like creatures like winged-lions technically known as "griffin". In the second margin, there are 24 antelopes with wide horns, called "Iranian yellow antelope" by French archeologist Grishman, also known as Mesopotamia. In the third margin, there are 62 stars like those of the body of the rug. In the fourth margin, there are 28 horses, some of them with a rider on their backs, and some others with riders standing beside them. In the last margin there are the lions called griffin. The rug is called "Pazirik" because of the place it was discovered. On discovering the rug, Rodenko immediately claimed that because the figures were related to the Achaemenian Dynasty, the rug was associating Persepolis. The way of tying the horses' tails in the form of braids reminds one of the horses on the walls of Persepolis.  
The advanced weaving technique used in the Pazirik  carpet indicates a long history of evolution and experience in this art. Pazirik  carpet is considered the oldest carpet in the world.
However, it is believed that the carpet from Pazirik  is not likely a nomadic product, but a product of the Achaemenid period.
Historical records show that the Achaemenian court of Cyrus the Great at Pasargade was decked with magnificent carpets. This was over 2,500 years ago, while Persia was still in a weak alliance with Alexander the Great, who would later betray her. Alexander II of Macedonia is said to have been dazzled by the carpets in the tomb area of Cyrus the Great at Pasargade.

Qumis carpet

The second old rug found in Iran is a woven rug discovered in the archeological explorations done in Qumis (now known as Semnan). It is a rug with curly woven parts going back to the Sassanid Dynasty. It is preserved in the Metropolitan Meuseum of Art, New York City.
According to the researches done, there were 30 rugs in Takhte Tavoos Palace, and four different types of rugs, used for different seasons of the year.

Baharistan carpet

By the sixth century, Persian carpets of wool or silk were renowned in court circles throughout the region. The most important  BIG RUG ART from the Sassanid Dynasty is called  Baharistan or Nasser Khosrow, which was ordered by Anun Shiravan for a Sassanid palace in Tisfoon. After the Arab conquest, this carpet was cut apart by Arab invaders and divided to different leaders as loot. The carpet was 1000 m2. It was 450 feet (140 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide and
depicted a formal garden. The Bahârestân (spring) carpet of Naser Khosrow  was made for the main audience hall of the Sassanid imperial Palace at Ctesiphon in the Sassanid province of Khvârvarân (in present-day Iraq). With the occupation of the Sassanid capital, Tuspawn, in the 7th century CE, the Baharestan carpet was taken by the Arabs, cut into small fragments and divided among the victorious soldiers as booty.

The carpet was gold-woven in some parts and had motifs and figures from garden and paradise.
The body of this carpet was divided to smaller parts and there were smaller gardens with beautiful rivers flowing, and paths designed for people to walk on them. There were different precious gems and diamonds woven on trees in this BIG RUG. It was also known as "garden carpet". According to historians, the famous Tāqdis throne was covered with 30 special carpets representing 30 days of a month and four other carpets representing the four seasons of a year.