The Ghashghai nomads are found in the Fars province in the southwest of Iran and they live in the provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and Southern Isfahan but mostly in the surroundings of Shiraz.The manufacturing of carpets as well as kelims, bags, ribbons and other decorations is an important contribution to the life of the nomads. The carpets have a typical red-brown ground colour.

The pattern is tied from memory and often consists of a centrally placed medallion, repeated in all four corners. Humans, four legged animals, birds, trees and flowers are popular elements.

Other patterns are collected from frescos and columns in Persepolis (Tacht-e-Jamshid in Persia ) the ceremonial capital during the Achmenids dynasty (550-330 B.C.). A specially well-woven carpet is know as a Kashkooli.

Gabbeh signifies a rough and primitive nomadic carpet from the area. During the last decades, the weaver had to oblige to the western desires and began to use large brighter fields with few patterns in the Gabbeh carpets. Well-made Ghashghai carpets are attractive and durable products that tells a lot about the conditions of the nomadic life.

The carpet is made entirely of wool from sheep and goats with some horse hair. The carpets can also be known as Qashqai, Gashghai, Gaschgai or Kashgai carpets.Ghashghai carpets consist of a hexagon or diamond with four projecting hooks inside of a hooked diamond. Some Ghasghai pieces have the Hebatlu design (Hebatlu is the name of one of the one of the smaller Ghasghai tribes) and it consists of circular central medallion, and smaller designs similar to the central medallion repeated on each of the four corners of the carpet. The Ghasghai kelims tend to be woven in one piece with cotton sometimes used as highlights. The have simple designs and the warp is normally finished in long braids. The tribe that are well known for making the Kelims are the Amaleh and Darashuri.

Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn
Weft: wool or goat hair yarn, usually 2 wefts after each row of knots
Warp: wool or goat hair yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 90 000 – 180 000 knots per square metre