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The Rug Knot Breakdown: Part I

Persian rugs, oriental rugs, hand knotted rugs, Persian carpets, symmetrical Turkish knot, asymmetrical Persian knot, Ghiordes knot, Turkish knots,

If it’s not our Persian rugs, it’s our oriental rugs that we love—or both. Nothing, and I mean, nothing, ties a room together better than a Persian or oriental rug. The intricate motifs, designs and patterns of hand knotted rugs are practically a map of the long history of Persian rugs, dating as far back as the 16th century. The craft of Persian carpets and oriental rugs has such a deep-rooted history that each weave, loop and rug knot is carefully tended down to the last thread.

There are two basic knots that are used in most Persian or oriental rugs: the symmetrical Turkish knot and the asymmetrical Persian knot. This week, we’ll be discussing the symmetrical Turkish knot.

The origin of the symmetrical Turkish knot dates from 1895-1900 and is also known as the Ghiordes knot that is used in Turkey, East Turkmenistan, the Caucasus, and some Turkish and Kurdish areas of Iran. Turkish knots are made when yarn is passed between two adjacent warps, returned back under one, wrapped around both forming a collar, and then finally pulled through the center so that both ends emerge between the warps producing an uneven pile effect. Here’s a handy diagram that might make it easier to understand this knotting process.

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