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HISTORY OF Rug
IRANIAN CARPET
Asia Minor, having a close relationship with Europe, whether at the era of the Roman Empire, or Crusades or the Bizantine Empire, used to be considered as the cradle of carpet-weaving.
At that time, when Pazirik was not discovered yet, it was assumed that carpet-weaving was developed in civilizations like Egypt. With the startling discovery of Professor Rodenko, leading to the introduction of Pazirik, found in Siberian mountains, to the world, carpet-weaving started to move its origin from the Nile River, Tigris and Euphrates to Central Asia in general and Iran in particular.
The fostering and development of the Iranian carpet-weaving art owes much to the efforts of the Safavid's shahs.
The very first signs of carpet-weaving in Iran can be found in the Bronze Age, and from graves in Turkmenistan and northern Iran, where a Qashqai man in Kamfirouz, Fars Province, Iran found some tools used to weave carpets. These tools are now preserved in
Gabbeh
Gabbeh is one kind of rug produced by Lor tribesmen of Fars province for their own use. Rustic simplicity of design and colouring give the rugs an unaffected freshness. The Gabbeh are often made with non-dyed yarn of white, brown, grey and black.
Generally the pile is long and the number of weft in each row can reach even ten threads. The majority of the warps in Gabbeh rugs are made of goat's hair and sometimes of the sheep's wool.
In one or two borders of the Gabbeh rugs a single and simple geometrical design is woven repeatedly.
There is either a big medallion in a plain field or a very simple tree or a few small lozenges woven along the
YAZD
Yazd is located on the road that leads from Esfahan to Kerman and is also on the border of the Central desert of Iran (Dasht-e-Kavir).
Long ago this city was one of the most famous hand-weaving centres in Iran. After the installation of textile
Kilim
Flat-woven Carpets
The most popular of flat-weaves is called the Kilim. Kilim rugs (along with jewelry, clothing and animals) are important for the identity and wealth of nomadic tribes-people. In their traditional setting Kilims are used as floor and wall coverings, horse-saddles, storage bags, bedding and cushion covers.
Flat woven carpets are given their color and pattern from the weft which is tightly intertwined with the warp. Rather than an actual pile, the foundation of these rugs gives them their design.
Turkoman rugs
The Turkoman tribesmen, whose ancestor were the Mongol Turks, years ago, settled between Bojnurd and Gonband-e-Kavus (towns located to the south-east of the Caspian Sea). Some of the tribal weavers of "Tekke", who after the October Revolution, fled from Turkmenistan and took refuge in Iran, continued to weave their
The Khorasan province
The vast Khorasan is one the most important weaving centres in Iran. The art of carpet weaving in this province dates back to the Sassanian period (241-641 a.d.). When Shah-Rokh Mirza (Timurid Dynasty), was in power (1405-1447), Harat the capital of this dynasty, which is now is Afghanistan was one of the most important
The central province
Arak (former Sultan-Abad] is one of the most important carpet producing centres in Iran.
The carpet weaving in this area dates back to the time when Shah-Abbas the Great, gave his consent for the settling of a group of Armenians in that area. Among them there were many skilled weavers, but the main
ZANJAN
In the province of Zanjan, three different kinds of carpets are made. The first is double weft and thick-woven, the second kind of carpets are those woven in Afsharieh with double-weft and with very fine designs and colours. Although they resemble those made in Bijar yet they cost much less because the structure, unlike that of Bijar, is
TEHRAN
Almost a hundred and fifty years ago carpet weaving started in the few limited workshops of Tehran.
The creative and interesting design of Tehran carpets with their harmonious, pleasant and attractive colours usually are not familiar to everyone, yet one can easily distinguish the origin of the exquisite handicraft.
