Persian Carpets
Persia, the ancient Persian name of Iran , boasts to be the world’s most superior culture in carpet manufacturing. The art of weaving and dying is inherited and carpets of all styles and sizes are made here. The Turkish speaking part of the population often uses the Senneh knot.
The carpets manufactured in the country are often named after the area where they are made, for example Hamadan, Mashad, Kerman, Shiraz and Bidjar. The carpets can also be named after different ethnic groups like the Ghashghais.
Abadeh
Right between Shiraz and Isfahan lies the city of Abadeh. To a visitor it does not offer much but, utility carpets of good quality are manufacured in this city.
Originally, carpets from Abadeh had patterns of vases and rather insignificant colours. The carpet had some difficulties holding onto the market and the weavers searched for new patterns. They were inspired by the Ghashghai nomads who had their summer pastures in the area. The carpets have a red-brown nuance combined with blue and with medallions in the middle and corners.
The carpets usually have a large hexagon in the middle with a bow or a medallion and at the corners, a variant of the Heybatlou-pattern . The field is covered with small pictures of birds, four-legged animals together with trees and flowers. They are good utility carpets since they are very firm, hardy and durable.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: cotton, 2 wefts
Warp: cotton
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 140 000 – 320 000
knots per square metre
Sizes: from zaronim (150×100 cm) up to 300×200 cm
Afshar
Around the city of Kerman in the southeast of Iran reside the semi nomads from the Afshar tribe. For hundreds of years these nomads lived in the northwest of Iran, but a part of the tribe were compulsorily transferred to today’s area, where carpet manufacturing became an important branch of business.
The carpets have red and blue colour tones and mostly geometrical patterns. The most common pattern contains a large center piece with one or more squared medallions, some say that this symbolizes a hide stretched for preparation. Today, medallions also occur and are typical of the Afshar carpets as they are also relatively wide in relation to its length.
In the nearby city of Shahr Babak similar carpets are manufactured, with a higher density and with more detailed patterns. Afshar carpets are also known on the market under the name of Sirdjan.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: cotton yarn, 1 or 2 wefts
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: mostly symmetrical, but also asymmetrical knots can occur
Knot density: 120 000 – 250 000 knots per square metre
Sizes: from zaronim (150×100 cm) up to 300×200 cm
Ardebil
The city of Ardebil is also the capital in the province with the same name and is situated in the north of Iran close by the Caspian Sea. The carpets manufactured in Ardebil are inspired by Caucasian patterns such as Shirvan, Karabagh and Gendje. The later carpets are desirable collector’s item. Ardebil carpets are thin but with well done geometrical motifs. Nowadays, a large part of the production consists of runners of good quality and are also sold under the name Ardabil.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: wool or cotton yarn, 2 wefts
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 90 000 – 220 000 knots per square metre
Sizes: all sizes up to 300×200 cm
Bakhtiar
In the Zagros mountains, west of the city of Isfahan around the city Shahr-e-Kurd, reside the Bakhtiar nomads. An extensive carpet production area of Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari absorbs nomads as well as village people of changing origin.
The carpets are sold under the common name Bakhtiar (also Baktiar, Bachtiar and Bakhtiari ), sometimes with a place of denunciation; Boldaji, Feridan or Saman. The carpets are made of durable wool, and are beaten very hard, which makes them thick and solid and they are considered to be among the most durable of Persian carpets. A well-known pattern is the Khesti (garden motif) where the carpet is divided into squares with plants and animals, symbolizing the Persian garden, but also medallions and life tree-motifs occur with influences from the Isfahan carpets.
The best Bakhtiar carpets with the highest knot density are sometimes called Bibibaff.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: cotton yarn, sometimes with a blue colour, 1 or 2 wefts
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: mostly symmetrical
Knot density: 150 000 – 320 000 knots per square metre
Sizes: from zaronim up to large sizes
Beluch
The Beluchis live on the border district between Iran and Afghanistan. Beluch is a generic term of nomads consisting of smaller tribes with varied origin. Their livelihood consists of agriculture, raising sheep, goats and camels together with carpet manufacturing.
The Beluch carpets have a close relationship with carpets from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The colours are often dull and dark red, dark blue, black and brown. The patterns are geometrical with curvilinear life trees. They are often designed as prayer carpets with a prayer niche.
Sometimes, the carpets have decorative kelims on the short sides to protect the carpet against wear. The long sides often consist of many cables, made with goat and horse hair. The warp is made of wool or a mixture of wool and goat hair and newer carpets have a warp made of cotton.
The workmanship is of high quality; these carpets are tight and thin and give a real feeling of genuine nomadic handicraft. The carpets are mostly made in small sizes with lively patterns and prayer carpets are common.
These carpets are sold in the city of Mashad in Iran and are called Mashad-Beluch carpets, while others are sold in the city of Herat in Afghanistan, and thus known as Herat-Beluch carpets.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: wool or goathair yarn, 2 wefts.
Warp: wool yarn, cotton also occur nowadays
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 70 000 – 200 000 knots per square metre
Bidjar
Bidjar is the name of a small Kurdish town in western Iran. Kurdish carpets are often very strong and compact, which makes them extremly durable. The name Bidjar denotes the meaning of durability to many carpet specialists. The weavers use their heavy comb, made of metal and wood, to beat the weft and the knots, so that the pile almost stands up. The surface of the pile therefore, becomes very compact, which prevents gravel and other small particles to be pressed into the carpet. The carpets are made with Turkish knots and are generally red and blue with beige elements.
The most common pattern is the Herati (also called fish pattern), but also medallions and floral motifs occur. Bidjar carpets are manufactured in most sizes, from zaronim (150×100 cm) and larger sizes. They have a sober elegance and fit in most environments. Their durability makes the carpets very suitable for public environments.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: cotton, often 3 wefts between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 250 000 – 600 000 knots per square metre
Gabbeh
Gabbeh (from the Persian language farsi; raw, natural, uncut) represents a rough and primitive carpet with patterns mostly made by Ghashghai nomads from the Fars province in the southwest of Iran. These carpets are probably the most well-known handmade carpets from Iran. They are manufactured by handspun wool, both in the pile and warp, and the yarns are dyed using plant dyes. The carpets are much thicker than other Persian carpets, sometimes up to 2.5 cm thick.
The patterns of the carpet are of a simple type with only a few elements of decorative, mostly rectangular objects containing animals. During the last decades, the weavers have had to meet the demands of the west and have therefore, resorted to using large light fields with chary pattering in the Gabbeh carpets.
Weavers from India have acted quickly to copy these carpets, but one must pay attention to this as there is a major difference between a Persian and a Indo Gabbeh carpet. Mostly this can be determined by the quality of the wool that is noticable, the Persian variant is much softer. The Persian variant is also much more durable and the quality is definitely better.
At present, there are different names given to Gabbeh carpets such as Basic, Amalehbaft, Kashkooli, Luribaft, Sumak and Baluch Gabbeh. A Gabbeh Kashkooli is a carpet with a higher knot density and a shorter pile than the usual Gabbeh carpets.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn
Weft: wool yarn, generally 2 wefts after every row of knots
Warp: wool yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 40 000 – 170 000 knots per square metre
Ghashghai
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
Ghom
Nearby a dried up river, about 150 kilometres south of Teheran lies the city of Ghom. It is the second most holy city in Iran and an important teological centre with extensive education of priests. The eighth imams sister is buried in a magnificent mausoleum that is found in this city.
The manufacturing of carpets began at the of the 20th century. Carpets from Ghom are known for their fine workmanship with pile in wool or silk. They are often manufactured with high knot density and have varied patterns, borrowed from different areas in Iran. Sometimes details are tied in silk. It is also common with carpets manufactured entirely of silk, Silk-Ghom .
Gardens, medallions or figural carpets with plant and animal motifs are common. Today, carpets are manufactured in other places and these carpets also carries the name Ghom.
The carpets are also sold under the names Ghome, Gom, Qum, Kum and Qom .
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn of good quality or silk
Weft: cotton yarn or silk, 2 wefts
Warp: cotton yarn or silk
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 240 000 – 600 000 knots per square metre
Hamadan
Hamadan is a city situated in the western part of Iran, 300 kilometres west of Teheran. It is one of the worlds oldest cities and is mentioned under the name of Ekbatana in the Bible, see the book of Esther.The best of these carpets are sold under their own names such as Nahavand, Tuiserkan, Malayer or Hosseinabad.The colours are dominated by different nuances of indigo blue and madder red. Older Hamadan carpets can be very attractive products. In the city itself, Hamadan, carpets were manufactured with a considerably higher quality.The carpets were called Shahr-baff (Shahr=city, baff=knot) and are similiar in structure to the Bidjar carpets, but they are rare on the market today.
The carpets are manufactured with a roppy, shiny and often natural dyed handspun yarn, that provides a very durable surface and beautiful colour scale. Common for all these carpets is that they are nowadays made on a cotton warp with one weft. The patterns are mostly geometrical, but floral motifs also occur. Materials and design can be of very varying quality.
In general Hamadan can be said to be good utility carpets. Examples of Hamadan carpets are Burchalow, Enjilas, Hosseinabad, Lilihan, Khamse, Zanjan and Malayer carpets. The carpets are also sold under the name of Hamedan.
Technical specifications:
Pile: strong wool yarn of varying quality
Weft: cotton, one weft between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 90 000 – 300 000 knots per square metre
Heriz
The city of Heriz is situated in the northwest of Iran, not far from the greater city of Tabriz. In the city and its surroundings carpets are manufactured with a pattern that is easily recognized; in the center there is a large right-angled medallion with large marked corner sections. Large carpets are mainly made by fairly rough yarn on cotton warp with a rustic design.
Heriz carpets, with its high wool quality, are well known for their durability and hardiness, and are very suitable for hallways and dining-rooms. Large sizes, from 300×200 cm and more are most common. Similar carpets are made in Georavan and Mehravan. Heriz carpets are suitable for homes as well as for public environments.
Technical specifications:
Pile: strong wool yarn
Weft: cotton yarn, 2 wefts between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 80 000 – 160 000 knots per square metre
Isfahan
In the middle of Iran with the Zagros mountains to the left and the desert to the right, lies the city of Isfahan.In the city and in its surroundings a large number of workshops can be found. Many of them have a world reputation such as Seirafian, Davari, Enteshar and Haghighi. The patterns are often inspired by the mosques tile works, or the gardens of the cities and palaces. Carpets from Isfahan have high class when it comes to the composition of the patterns, materials and designs. They are characterized by thin, often carpets with extremly high knot density ((Shah Abbas pattern), but figural motifs also occur.
Along the large shopping streets the carpet stores are very close together, and in the hotels exhibitions are put up to attract buyers. There are also larger carpet bazaar in the surrounding countryside, selling the Yalameh and Bakhtiar carpets for example. These carpets are also sold under the name Esfahan.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool of good quality, often cork wool or silk
Weft: cotton yarn or silk
Warp: cotton yarn or silk
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 650 000 – 850 000 knots per square metre
Kerman
Down in the southeast of Iran, close to an oasis in the desert Dasht-e-Lut lies the city of Kerman.The carpets were considered to be the best among the Iranian carpets, but the newer productions are unfortunately of low quality sometimes. Modern carpets with the name Kerman-Lavar often come with all-over floral motifs in clear colours. The carpets are also sold under the name Kirman.
Some examples of Kerman.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool of good quality
Weft: cotton, 2 or 3 wefts between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 160 000 – 380 000 knots per square metre
Kashan
Right between Isfahan and Teheran, close to the edge of the great desert Dasht-e-Kavir, lies the city of Keshan with 120 000 inhabitants.
The carpets are handmade in the city of Keshan and its surroundings. Superior carpets were manufactured here during the Safavid dynasty (1502-1736). After a period of decline high-quality carpets were being manufactured again at the end of the 19th century. The carpets are manufactured with high knot density with Persian knot, warp, and weft of cotton and the wool for the pile is of high quality. The patterns consist of beautifully designed medallions, niches, trees, and figural motifs and all-over floral motifs occur also. Dominating colors are blue, red, and beige.
The quality of these carpets varies a lot, some of them are not even manufactured in Keshan, but are still sold under this name.
Tecnical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn of good quality, sometimes silk is used
Weft: cotton yarn, 2 wefts between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn or silk
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 90 000 – 380 000 knots per square metre
Klardasht
These carpets are rather unusual, but very well-known from several antique paintings. The village, Klardasht, is situated in the north of Iran, south of the Caspian Sea, near the Alborz mountains.
The motifs on these carpets normally consists of a hexagon surrounded by white primitve lines and sometimes even a scarab in the middle. On the central part of the carpet, and on the border, there are decorative figures of more simple types together with flowers. The background colour is often brickred with dark blue and brown as dominating colours. The pile is made of thick, soft wool, the warp of cotton and the knots is Turkish. The carpets are very durable and very long-lasting.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool of good quality
Warp: cotton
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 80 000 – 160 000 knots per square metre
Koliai
The main part of the population in Iran is of Persian origin, but there are also minorities. One of these are the Kurds who mainly live in the western parts of the country in the provinces of Kurdestan, Zandjan and Kermanshah.
The Kurds are known as good carpet weavers. The carpets are firmly tied with a high pile and a saturated colour scale. Older Koliai carpets are woven on a warp of wool, while the younger has a cotton warp, both with two wefts between the rows of knots. Their patterns often have large, geometrical figures in dull colours. A pattern with small diagonally placed squares is also common. The workmanship is strong; the carpets are heavy and compact with good durability. The classical measures are 150-160×300-330 cm, rather narrow in relation to the length.
Kurdish village carpets are usually sold under the name Koliai (also Kolyai) or Songhur. Other carpets woven by the Kurds are Senneh .
Technical specifications:
Pile: rough wool yarn of good quality
Weft: cotton yarn, usually one weft after every row of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 80 000 – 250 000 knots per square metre
Mashhad
The holy city of Mashad is situated in the east of Iran, in the enormous province of Khorasan. Mashad is the holiest city in Iran, the eight imam died, and is buried, here in the year 817. This place has grown from an insignificant village to one of the countrys largest cities with a population of 2 milion inhabitants. More than 12 million Shiah muslims visit the city every year.
The carpet manufacturing is extensive and mostly large carpets with medallions are made, which are also sold under the name Meshed. The quality changes and the wool from Khorasan is recognized by its softness.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn of changing quality
Weft: cotton yarn, 2 wefts between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 160 000 – 260 000 knots per square metre
Moud
The city of Moud is situated south of Mashad and south of Birdjan. The carpets from Moud often have a Herati pattern , with or without a centrally placed medallion. They are sometimes divided into Moud Mahi and Moud Garden . The first one mentioned, Mahi, often has a beige colour with a light red or blue nuance and a star shaped medallion. The other, Garden, reminds one about Bakhtiar carpets, illustrated with a curvilinear garden motif.
The weavers uses double wefts and the workmanship is often of good quality. In both types silk is used to bring out the lustre in the pile. Other carpets from this area are Birjand and Kashmar.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn of changing quality
Weft: cotton yarn, 2 wefts between the rows of knots
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 220 000 – 450 000 knots per square metre
Nahavand
Nahavand is a town in the province of Hamadan which is situated in the western part of Iran. The surrounding region around the city of Hamadan is one of the most productive when it comes to carpet manufacturing in Iran. In almost every village there is manufacturing of unique and simple carpets, and in all sizes. The quality is very high and thanks to the high shiny wool they use, the carpets are very durable.
Much of the design are collected from the famous city Malayer, situated westwards. The carpets are stable, with elements of nomadic and geometrical motifs and are ranked as the leading carpets manufactured in this area.
The carpets often have a “leaf-like” medallion in the middle with flowers and twigs in the background. A border with flowers and typical vases can also be seen. The dominating colours are often a kind of pale rust-red and beige on a dark blue background.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool
Weft: wool
Warp: cotton
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 80 000 – 160 000 knots per square meter
Naein
Close to the western edge of the great desert Dasht-e-Kavir, 200 kilometres east of Isfahan is the picturesque city of Nain.
Carpets from the city have a high reputation and are very popular. Material as well as the workmanship is of highest class and the knot density is high; often more than one million knots per square meter. The material in the more exclusive carpets consists of wool on a silk warp or silk in the warp as well as in the weft and pile.
Patterns with a medallion in the middle together with arabesques and floral motifs are common. The similarity to carpets from the nearby city of Isfahan is remarkable. One of the rarer type of Nain carpets on the market is the “Nain Tuteshk” and with an incredibly refined craftsmanship, they are much sought after. It sometimes occurs that carpets of slightly lower quality, with similar patterns and colours, are sold as Nain carpets.
In connection with Nain carpets some denominations occur; 4La, 6La and 9La, where “La” in farsi means layer. This denomination is used to decide the quality of a Nain carpet and it refers to the number of layer of threads that have been used in every warp-thread at the manufacturing of the carpet. The lower the number the finer and higher density the knots the carpet has. It is possible to check how many layers have been used in a carpet by counting the number of threads in one of the fringes of the carpet – if you can see 3 pairs of thread (see pictures below) then it is a Nain 6La carpet.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn of fine quality or silk
Weft: cotton yarn or silk
Warp: cotton yarn or silk
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 160 000 – 1 000 000 knots per square metre
Senneh
In the western part of Iran the province of Kurdistan is situated. Its capital today is Sanandaj, but in carpet context the older name is still used, Senneh. The visitor meets a Kurdish society very different from what can be seen in Iran today. One can notice how the people dress; men in baggy pants and women in colourful dresses.
Around the province the Kurdish people weave strong, durable carpets with juicy patterns (see Koliai ). Carpets from the city of Senneh gives an elegant impression with a fine design and tasteful patterns. They are very appreciated both in and out of Iran. The pattern consists of rhombs, mir-e-buteh or Herati. The carpet is dominated by red and dark blue colours.
The weaver uses thread in the weft and because of this the carpet gets a typical spotted backside. In this area the Kelim-Senneh carpet is also manufactured, which is thougth to be the best kelims in all of Iran.
Technical specifications:
Pile: fine wool yarn
Weft: cotton, one weft
Warp: cotton
Knot: asymmetrical
Knot density: 150 000 – 250 000 knots per square metre
Shiraz
The city of Shiraz with its gardens, tombs of the poets and the ancient Persepolis, is situated in the Fars province which lead to the name of the country Persia, today’s Iran.
The easy-going atmosphere appeals to many Iranians. Around the city resides the Ghashghai nomads (see the section about Ghashghai ) and their carpets are traded in the giant bazaar; sometimes under its own name and sometimes under the name Shiraz.
When speaking of Shiraz carpets in common, it is a more simple carpet with pile, warp and weft made of wool.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool yarn
Weft: wool or goathari, usually 2 wefts after very row of knots
Warp: wool or goathair yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 80 000 – 160 000 knots per square metre
Tabriz
The city of Tabriz is situated 600 km west of Teheran and one of the largest cities in Iran and also the captial in the province of Azerbajdzjan. The manufacturing of carpets today is extensive and the quality varies from excellent handicrafts to simple and cheap bazaar qualities. A good Tabriz has a short and rough pile. The patterns can consist of a centrally placed medallion surrounded by arabesques, weeping willows and cypresses. Another popular motif is the four seasons which describes the life of the Persian farmer during spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Ancient palaces and ruins are often seen on the carpets. On the corners it is sometimes possible to see the four great Persian poets: Sadi, Hafez, Ferdowsi and Omar Khayam.
The term Raj in connection with the name of Tabriz carpets refers to the number of knots in a 70 mm span range. The denomination 40 Raj refers to carpets with 400-500.000 knots/m2, 50 Raj to carpets with approximately 500-600.000 knots/m2, 60 Raj to carpets with 600-800.000 knots/m2 and 70 Raj to carpets with approximately 800-1.000.000 knots/m2. The last mentioned being extremely rare on today’s market.
Technical specifications:
Pile: wool of varying quality
Weft: cotton, 2 wefts
Warp: cotton yarn
Knot: symmetrical
Knot density: 90 000 – 1 000 000 knots per square metre