RUG INFO

The Islamic Period

In the 8th century A.D. Azarbaijan Province was among the largest centers of BIG RUG , carpet and Gillim weaving in Iran. The Province of Tabarestan, besides paying taxes, sent 600 carpets to the courts of caliphs in Baghdad every year. At that time, the main items exported from that region were carpets, and small carpets for saying prayers (also known as prayer mats). Furthermore, the carpets of Khorassan, Sistan and Bukhara, because of their prominent designs and motifs, were in high demand among purchasers.
During the reigns of the Seljuq and Ilkhanate dynasties, carpet weaving was still a booming business, so much so that a mosque built by Ghazan Khan in Tabriz, northwestern Iran, was covered with superb Persian carpets. Sheep were specially bred to produce fine wool for weaving carpets. Carpet designs depicted by miniature paintings belonging to the Timurid era lend proof to the development of this industry at that time. There is also another miniature painting of that time available which depicts the process of carpet weaving.During that era dyeing centers were set up next to carpet weaving looms. The industry began to thrive until the attack on Iran by the Mongol army.

The Art of carpet weaving during the Safavid   period(1499-1722)

During the reign of the Safavid dynasty in Iran, the art of calligraphy, gilding, tiling, painting, miniatures, architecture and carpet weaving approached their highest previous level .In this period, the Iranian artist created  very  interesting designs that since have been imitated in many carpet weaving countries.
The Safavid kings, such as Shah Tahmasb (1524-1587) and Shah Abbas the Great(1587-16290), patronized  these master weavers. They setup many weaving workshops in Kashan , Esfahan, Tabriz, Ghazvin, and Joshaghan and other suitable areas of Iran.

Shah Tahmasib carpet

Another famous carpet is Ardabil Carpet which was woven at the time Shah Tahmasib, for the shrine of one of his ancestors. It is now preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It should be noted that the pinnacle of carpet weaving art in Iran was developed at the Safavid Dynasty in Tabriz, a north-western major city in Iran. This most famous of Persian carpets has been the subject of endless copies ranging in size from small carpets to full scale carpets. There is an 'Ardabil' at 10 Downing Street and even Hitler had an 'Ardabil' in his office in Berlin.
The carpets are woven in 1539-40 according to the dated inscriptions. The foundation is of silk and the pile of wool with a knot density of 300-350 knots per square inch (465-542 thousand knots per square meters). The size of the carpets are 34½ feet by 17½ feet (10.5 meters × 5.3 meters).
There is much variety among classical Persian carpets of the 16th and 17th century. There are numerous sub-regions that contribute distinctive designs to Persian carpets of this period such as Tabriz and Ravar, Kerman. Common motifs include scrolling vine networks, arabesques, palmettes, cloud bands, medallions, and overlapping geometric compartments rather than animals and humans. Figural designs are particularly popular in the Iranian market and are not nearly as common in carpets exported to the west.