Persian Rugs

There are thousands of rug weaving towns, villages, tribes and workshops in Persia (Iran) creating a vast variety of artistically interesting collectable and decorative pieces ranging from small bag faces to enormous authentic carpets. Extant Persian carpets survive here from the 16th century and many were woven in royal court workshops. Carpet weaving on a wide scale was revived in the later 19th century and gave rise to the broad variety of antique rugs available today. Both wool and silk rugs of high quality were woven during this period. Tribal groups known for their carpets include Qashqai, Khamseh, Luri, Afshar, Shahsavan, Bakhtiari, Kurds and Baluch. Many villages including Heriz, Serab and Bidjar are famous for their colorful rustic carpets.