Oriental Rug Weaving, an Industry and an Art
The term Oriental rug traditionally refers to handmade rugs and carpets from the Asian continent. This is a huge area that includes Turkey, Iran (formerly Persia), Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Kirgizistan. Other nations with a notable history of rug weaving are Egypt, Morocco, and Spain.
Historically the most important oriental carpet weaving center is considered Persia, therefore many people treat the terms 'Persian Rug' and 'Oriental Rug' like synonyms. The art of rug weaving has played an important role in the Persian (Iranian) art and culture since thousands of years. The classical centers of the persian carpet production include Tabriz, Kashan, Herat, and Kerman.
Typical Persian rug designs and patterns have been imitated by weavers from other nations like India and Pakistan. Apart from the numerous Persian workshop designs, I should also mention the usually geometric tribal designs from nomadic or settled tribes, the Turkoman designs, the Chinese and the Tibetan rug designs.
It's worth noting that only handmade rugs should be considered authentic oriental rugs. That means, they are either hand-knotted or hand-woven. Machine made rugs with oriental designs are just that. Nothing comes close to a rug, that has been designed and woven by a real master weaver. The typical types of knots used in Oriental carpets are the asymmetrical Persian or Senneh knot, and the symmetrical Turkish or Ghiordes knot. Typically oriental rugs are made from natural fibres like wool, silk, cotton, goat's hair, and camel's hair, with wool being the most popular material for the pile of the rug.
The menu on the left side has links to a rug gallery with Persian rugs that are for sale by Rugman.com, one of the biggest Oriental Carpet and Rug Stores on the Internet. You can buy there oriental area rugs and runners in every size, shape and form, but all are real handmade oriental carpets woven with natural materials like cotton, wool, and silk.
Feel free to browse through all the pages and enjoy your stay on the Persian Rug site!
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