About Carpets

Tabriz

Tabriz is located 600 kilometers west of Tehran, it is the fourth largest city and one of the historical capitals. Tabriz also counts as the capital of East Azerbaijan province.

Tabriz was the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960s and the residence of the crown prince during the Qajar dynasty. The city has had great importance in the country's modern history. Tabriz has a rich history and many historical monuments, but several devastating earthquakes and invasions during several wars have damaged many of them significantly.

Tabriz has about 2,000,000 inhabitants. The majority of the population are Azeris followed by Persians, Armenians and Assyrians.

The dominant language is Turkish Azeri. Most residents also know Persian, which is the official language of Iran and the only language of instruction.

Tabriz is the second industrial city in Iran. Modern industries manufacture mechanical equipment, vehicles, chemicals and petrochemicals, refinery, cement, electrical and electronic equipment, household appliances, textile, leather and wood carvings. There are also factories here for food processing. Carpet manufacturing has declined drastically in recent years because it is difficult to attract young people to the industry.

Tabriz is the center of production of the famous Iranian carpets. The high quality is highly appreciated on the world market. The city is one of the oldest carpet-producing places in the country and a huge variety of different types of carpets are manufactured here. Many designs, from medallion, herati/mahi to figural motifs and even 3D shaped rugs are produced here.

Tabriz rugs are most often tied with ghiordes knots, which are also called symmetrical/Turkish knots. Less experienced people can also call these a "double knot", which is the wrong term. Ghiordes knots involve the fringe emerging from the center of a knot or two warp threads. Tabriz, through its many different types of patterns, color schemes and qualities, has become the most sought-after Persian carpet both in Iran and in other parts of the world.

Tabriz quality is assessed by raj, the designation defines the number of knots in 7 centimeters of the carpet's width. It is available in the simple bazar quality of 24 raj up to 110 raj.

Often the works of great oriental poets have inspired the motifs of Tabriz carpets. They sometimes depict falconry or ferocious lions. Also well known are motifs with fragments of palaces, mosques and battle sites. The patterns have often been inspired by hand-painted drawings in old books.

Tabriz rugs often have ivory-hued backgrounds with blue, pink and indigo motifs. The patterns are often very symmetrical and balanced. Mostly they have a single medallion surrounded by vines and palmettes. One of the most important quality features is the way in which the rugs are woven using special bands that guarantee durability.

Esfahan

75Esfahan is the capital of Esfahan province in Iran, which is located approximately 340 kilometers south of Tehran and has a population of approximately 1,800,000 people.
Esfahan is located on the main roads crossing Iran and was once one of the largest cities in the world. It flourished 1050-1722, above all in the 17th century during

Safavi dynasty when Esfahan became the capital of Persia for the second time. Even today, the city retains much of its former glory. It is famous for its Islamic architecture with many beautiful boulevards, covered bridges, palaces, mosques and minarets. This led to a Persian proverb: "Esfahan nesfe jahan ast", Esfahan is half the world.
Naghshe Jahan Square in Esfahan is one of the largest squares in the world and an outstanding example of Iranian and Islamic architecture. The city has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It also has a wide range of historical monuments and is famous for its paintings and history.

Today, fine carpets, textiles, steel and handicrafts are manufactured in Esfahan. The city has one of the largest steel-producing facilities in the entire region and facilities for the production of special alloys.

Esfahan has long been the center of production of the famous Persian carpet. Weaving flourished during Safavi times. But when the Afghans invaded Iran, the Safavi dynasty came to an end.

Not until 1920 did food production begin to pick up again in Esfahan. The weavers began to use Safavi patterns and once again the manufacture of Iranian carpets became an important industry. In Esfahan, senneh knots, also called asymmetric or Farsi knots, are always used. Some less experienced people call these single knots, but that is a completely wrong term. In Esfahan, mostly silk or cotton warp is used in the carpets, the finer carpets usually have silk warp. A fine Esfahan carpet has over 1 million knots per square meter. Esfahan carpets are among the most sought-after on the world market and in Western countries there are many customers.

Esfahan rugs usually have backgrounds in shades of ivory with blue, pink and indigo motifs. They often have very symmetrical and balanced motifs. It is common to have a medallion surrounded by vines and palmettes. These carpets are mostly of excellent quality. The most famous master weaver in Esfahan is Seirafian.

Esfahan produces carpets with high quality wool in the pile. The quality can be compared to individual items from the other major Persian manufacturers but the Esfahan carpets maintain a very high and consistent quality and the bad carpets are rare.

Esfahan rugs are tied on cotton or silk warp with 80 knots or more per square centimeter. In the fairly low-cut fringe, exceptionally good quality wool is used, often cork wool. In contemporary rugs, the color scale is more pastel and technical perfection is generally more important than artistic flair. They are extremely attractive and the muted color scale, especially the elimination of strong red hues, makes them more suitable in Western decor.

A range of traditional designs are still used such as the Shah Abbas, vase, tree of life and image system, but by far the most popular design is based on a circular center medallion (derived from the famous Shah Lutf Allah Mosque in Esfahan) set against an elegantly sculpted field decorated with intricate vine, palmette and flower motifs.

Nain

Nain is a city in Esfahan Province in Iran. It is located 170 km north of Yazd and 140 km east of Esfahan with an area of ​​almost 35,000 square kilometers. The city is located at an altitude of 1,545 meters above sea level. Like many places on the Iranian plateau, it has a desert climate with a maximum temperature of 41 degrees in summer and a coldest -9 degrees in winter.

More than 3,000 years ago, the Persians learned to build underground aqueducts (qanat or kariz in Persian) to bring water from the mountains to the plains. In the 1960s, this old system meant that 70 percent of the water used in the country came through the aqueducts. Nain is one of the best places in the whole world to see how these qanats work.

Unique to Nain is that it houses some of Iran's most prominent monuments: Jame Mosque, one of the first four mosques built in Iran after the Arab invasion, the pre-Islamic Narej fortress, the traditional Pirnia house, the old bazaar, Rigareh, a qanat powered by a watermill as well as a Zurkhaneh which is a place for traditional sports.

Besides its magnificent monuments, Nain is also known for high-quality carpets and woolen textiles.

Some linguists believe that the word Nain may be derived from the name of one of the descendants of the prophet Noah, who was called Naen. Among the local population, many speak an old Pahlavi Sasani dialect. Other linguists state that the word Nain can be derived from the word Nei which is a plant found in bogs.

Handmade products are very important in Nain. Carpet weaving is an art that began here around the time of World War II. Carpet weavers from Nain had worked with thinner wool, now they began to weave carpets of a much higher quality. Nain rugs are tied with asymmetric knots, also known as Senneh knots or Persian knots. Often they are tied with cotton warp but higher quality Nain rugs may have silk warp.

Because few carpets were woven and the quality was exceptionally high, the market was very profitable for the weavers.

Nain rugs are very exclusive. Up until the 1930s, most Nain residents made carpets with elements from Esfahan. Only then were the Nain rugs made and therefore there are no ancient Nain rugs. The most common motif is very elegant and detailed bushes with leaves and flowers (figural). In addition to the plant decoration, the middle field is also often patterned with a variety of animals, mainly birds resting on a branch or flying as well as gazelles and harpoons. The warp is made of silk or wool and most rugs have elements of silk or are entirely silk. The density and exclusivity of the carpet is also assessed according to "La". The term "La" is Persian for layers and refers to the number of layers of thread used in each warp thread. The fewer the finer the carpet. The finest carpets are either 4 La (sharla) or 6 La (shishla) with a knot density of over 1,000,000 knots per square meter. These carpets are either completely silk or have strong silk and cork wool. The finest wool is called cork wool and sits on the sheep's neck, it has a very high content of wool fat and becomes soft and easy to work with. Other qualities of the carpets, which are more commonly referred to as utility carpets, are 9 La (nohla) and 12 La (davazdahla). These carpets have a lower knot density and are very durable, woven of wool with silk elements.

One reason why rugs woven in Nain are so popular is that they mainly use natural and traditional colors instead of synthetic dyes. This means that Nain is one of the best handwoven carpets in Iran.

The most famous and influential Nain master weaver is Habibian and the carpets produced in his workshop are among the finest and most sought after in the world. Another famous carpet designer is Reza Jafari Naini. He has taught many teachers in this great and traditional art in his small workshop adjacent to his home in Nain.

Kashan

Kashan is a city in Esfahan Province in Iran. It is the first of the great oases along the Qom-Kerman road that runs along the border of the central deserts of Iran. The charm of the area lies mainly in the contrast between the vast parched deserts and the greenery of the well-kept oasis. Archaeological discoveries in the Sialk Hillocks, located 4 kilometers west of Kashan, reveal that this region was one of the most important sites of civilization in prehistoric times.

Some accounts claim that Kashan was the starting point for the three wise men who followed the star that guided them to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus. Regardless of the historical validity of the data, they testify to the city's importance at the time.

Sultan Malik Shah of the Seljuk dynasty ordered the construction of a fortress in the center of Kashan in the 12th century. The fortress walls, known as Ghaleh Jalali, still stand.

Kashan was also a place of vacation and recreation for the Safavi Kings. WHAT IS IT? Bagh-e Fin (Fin = garden) is one of the most famous gardens in Iran. It was founded 7,000 years ago near Cheshmeh-ye-Soleiman.

This beautiful garden with ponds and orchards was intended for Shah Abbas I and was created as a classical Persian vision of paradise. The original Safavi buildings have been largely replaced by construction during the Qajar dynasty, although the original timbers have been replanted and the marble vessels reconstructed. The garden is also infamous because the king of Iran Mirza Taghi Kahn, who was called Amir Kabir, chancellor of Nasser-al-Din Shah, was assassinated here in 1852. Kashan is a common destination for foreign tourists who are attracted by the many historical sites. A highway connects Kashan to Tehran via Qom and the journey takes only 2.5 hours. Qamsar and Abyaneh are interesting towns nearby that attract tourists all year round. The nearby town of Niasar has an artificial cave and fireplace that are of historical interest.

Kashan is internationally known for its production of carpets, silk and other textiles. Today, most of Iran's carpets are for sale in Kashan. Since ancient times, Kashan has been a city with a well-established silk carpet industry. During the Safavi period, a large number of high-quality carpets were produced. Kashan has asymmetric knots which are also called senna knots or Persian knots.

The rugs often have a central medallion surrounded by stylized flowers, but there are also Mir botah and Herati patterns. The rugs are durable, thanks in large part to the high quality of the wool used, which makes the rugs soft and thin. Kashan carpets have 160,000-800,000 knots per square meter, the number of knots varies between grades.

The rarest group of Kashan rugs, which use non-traditional patterns and color palettes, are the Motasham Kashan which were woven until the end of the 20th century. These premium rugs use a very light lambswool, which produces reflections in the surface. Genuine Motasham Kashan rugs, which have exceptionally fine knots, are quite difficult to find. The motifs have either a softly designed drop medallion or intricate and detailed flower and leaf patterns.

Ghom

Ghom is located on a low plain 150 kilometers from Tehran in Iran. The city is on the border of the central desert (Kavir-e-Markazi). It has a dry and hot climate with low annual rainfall due to its distance from the sea and proximity to the desert. Summers are hot so other seasons are more suitable if traveling to Ghom.

As a settlement, Ghom already existed during the pre-Islamic ages. Architectural discoveries indicate that Ghom was inhabited from the 5th millennium BC. Pre-Islamic remains and historical texts point to the fact that Ghom was a major regional city. The city was known as Qum until the Arabs conquered Iran in the 7th century and they called the city Ghom.

In the late 15th century, the city was sacked by Tamerlane and the inhabitants massacred. During the Safavi dynasty, Ghom was noted for its religious shrines.

In 1503, Ghom became an important center of theology and a place of religious pilgrimage for Shia Islam. During about 1820-1920 there was a decline for the city in religious terms but it was

a boost when Shaykh Abdul Karim Haeri Yazdi accepted an invitation to move to Ghom from Sultanabad (now Arak) where he had been teaching.

Ghom is currently the world's largest center of Shia education. There are an estimated 50,000 seminarians from 70 countries, including 6,000 from Pakistan. Ghom has seminars for women and some non-Shia students. Most of the seminaries teach students modern social science, Western thought and hold traditional religious studies.

Ghom is famous for its Sohan, a flat sweet cake made from pistachios and saffron. There is also a sweet nougat called Gaz. Ghom is also known worldwide for the unique and beautiful silk carpets with unusual patterns. Ghommats are tied with asymmetric knots, which are also called senneh knots or Persian knots.

Carpet weaving did not become a major industry in Ghom until the last 100 years. The luxurious silk and wool carpets from here are known for their high quality and are considered to be among the best in the world. The carpets have a pleasing appearance. Most are small (Galiche), they are nice and beautiful and many hang them on the wall. The pattern often has arc lines (urban style) but sometimes it depicts landscape elements or historical stories.

It is said that there was a priest who moved from Kashan to Ghom with his wife to study religion. His wife had woven carpets in Kashan earlier and continued to weave carpets in Ghom as well. It is said that the very first Ghommats came from this couple and that is why Ghommats are so inspired by Kashan rugs.

Ghommats are generally expensive for their size and they tend to be quite small to medium sized. The material is of high quality regardless of whether the rugs are made of delicious silk or soft wool. Colors vary but red, blue and ivory are very common along with soft silk and very thin pile of cork. The warp is mainly cotton with elements of either silk, cotton or wool. The pattern is vivid and bright and the carpets are among the finest in Iran and the world.