Ancient Persian rugs – Oriental Rugpedia

The Essence: Rug Knots

Posted on September 8, 2017January 31, 2026 by D F

Before we think about technology and machinery, coloring and design, hand skill and passed-on knowledge, there is one single, elemental component to rug weaving: the knot. Rug knot is such a simple concept that one might overlook its central position in rug structure, look and durability.

There are two ways a rug knot is defined: density and type. When choosing a nomad or a village hand-woven rug, one might not consider the density of the knot a major factor. These traditional articles are made either within a season – and therefore fast – or with simple looms, and usually contain about 25-100 knots per square inch. Other factors are at play here: originality of the individual artist’s design (from memory), natural local dyes, manual labor, and plenty of love.

Sun Baked Orange, Serapi Heriz with Large Medallion Design, Vegetable Dyes, Hand Knotted, Aryana Grade, High Mountain Wool, Soft Pile, Densely Woven, Oriental Rug — Close-up of a Kazak rug. Notice the rather closely woven rug knots. ©1800getarug.com

The workshop hand-made rugs, however, are woven on a much more sophisticated machinery. Precision is therefore a major factor- on par with design and authenticity. The knot density ranges between 100-1000 knots per square inch. If you consider that each knot takes about 10 seconds to complete, it is astounding how long finishing a large enough rug may take, keeping in mind a rather high knot density.

Terracotta Antique Persian Mahal Good Condition with Some Wear Clean Hand Knotted Oriental Rug — This Handcrafted Antique Persian , is an original Pure Wool oriental rug. ©1800getarug.com

The other way of thinking of a rug knot is its method, with two predominant ones being symmetrical and asymmetrical. Popular in most of Iran, India, Egypt, China, and parts of Turkey, the asymmetrical, or Persian Senneh, have their knot loops tied around two warps and come up on the same sides to make the rug tufts. The Turkish Ghiordes knot (the symmetrical one) goes around two warp threads on opposite sides and comes up in the middle. The most commonly used knots are slight variations on the Persian one. The Tibetan knot is perhaps the most interesting one, wrapping around warps in a complex fashion and reminiscent of Indic script.

Fire Whirl Red, Antique Persian Heriz, Good Condition, Clean, Sides and Ends Professionally Secured, 100% Wool, Hand Knotted, Oriental Rug — An Illustration of a Persian Knot. ©1800getarug.com

The study of rug knots is not necessarily complex, but it certainly is full of grace and style, which is necessary for understanding the structure, design, and feel of these wonderful hand-woven rugs that we cherish throughout our lives.

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What are Peshawar Hand-Woven rugs?

Posted on July 12, 2017January 31, 2026 by D F

Looking into our rugs is sometimes like looking into the depths of history. The Peshawar rugs take us to one of the greatest depths. One of the epicenters of the great Silk Roads, the city of Peshawar was, quite literally on the map since the 5th century B.C. From the ancient Persians and the Hellenistic descendants of Alexander the Great, to the medieval Mongols and finally the Muslim empires. Peshawar commanded authority throughout the region, housing millions of citizens and invariably creating and absorbing culture for centuries. Some may argue the Mughal era of rule over the region was one of the most successful in last few centuries and has inspired some of the most fascinating and impressive works of art.

Beige, Afghan Peshawar with All Over Mahal Design, Clean, Full Pile, Long and Narrow, 100% Wool, Hand Knotted, Oriental Rug — This handcrafted Afghan Peshawar is an authentic Wool oriental rug. ©1800getarug.com

Perhaps the best time capsule of this Mughal artistry is the hand-woven Peshawar rug, whose designs evolved through the centuries but with mastery that never dwindled. In the 16th century, emperor Akbar had ordered the construction of rug weaving workshops and fostered the knowledge exchange with the Persian artisans to reinforce the local style. In the 20th, after the crumbling of British colonialism the existing industry simply needed a push from the newly independent government to survive and to flourish.

Chiffon White, Sparrows on the Tree, Peshawar, High Mountain Wool, Hand Knotted, Soft to the Touch, Densely Woven, Oriental Rug ©1800getarug.com

Traditional Peshawar rugs are always hand-woven, and feature a pure high mountain hand-spun wool pile, although sometimes, in select rugs, fine merino wool is blended in – that makes the rugs look slicker. Occasionally silk is woven in as well, especially if the artist wants to highlight a motif. The weft and warp are cotton, for the strongest support. The resulting rugs are durable and reliable, but are luxurious and extremely soft to the touch.

Rust Orange, Afghan Peshawar with Heriz All Over Design, Hand Knotted, Soft 100% Wool, Densely Woven, Oriental Rug — This handcrafted Heriz All Over Design is an original Pure Wool oriental rug. ©1800getarug.com

The design of the rugs, as chronicled in history, is heavily influenced by ancient Persian rug motifs. The colors, usually light and earthy and derived from sun-dried vegetable dyes, give the rugs its characteristic antique and washed-out look. But whether they are stonewashed and have their piles cut shorter, or the modernist take will have the colors pop, you are sure to be mesmerized by the deep richness and artistry that are the Peshawar rugs.

Swamp Green with Touches of Pink, Peshawar, Sparrows on the Tree, Densely Woven, Hand Knotted, Soft 100% Wool, Oriental Rug — Swamp green with touches pink hand-knotted pure wool rug © 1800getarug.com

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Moroccan Rugs

Posted on April 27, 2017February 5, 2026 by D F

Moroccan Rugs: A journey of creativeness.

Moroccan rugs are a large category of hand-woven carpets from Morocco. History and geography played a key role in the development of these rugs. To understand their variety we have to keep in mind Morocco is a blend of cultures, such as Arabic, Indigenous Berber, Sub–Saharan and European influences. Furthermore, the rich and varied landscape ranging from desert to mountains gives the rugs specific characteristics. For instance, knotted heavy pile rugs are used in the snowy Atlas Mountains while flat, light woven ones are better suited for the Sahara Desert.

Daisy White, Moroccan Weave with Geometric Pattern, Hand Knotted, Tone on Tone, Soft Wool, Textured Pile, Runner, Oriental Rug — This handcrafted Moroccan weave is an authentic Pure Wool oriental rug. © 1800getarug.com

In the past, traditional Moroccan Rugs had a utilitarian purpose: indigenous people from the desert used them to sleep, sit, dress, cover or to protect their animals with little though for decoration, but today western collectors appreciate the simple tribal designs and the wide color hues because they are easily matched with modern and sleek furniture.

Lazy Gray and Light Beige, Embossed Pile Moroccan Weave Geometric Oulad Bousbaa Design, Tone On Tone, Vegetable Dyes, Organic Wool, Hand Knotted, Oriental Rug — This handcrafted Moroccan Weave, is an authentic Pure Wool oriental rug.

Depending on the region, Moroccan rugs have distinctive designs and styles as shown below:
Berber Beni Ourain rug are usually weaved in two colors of neutral shades with tribal patterns and designs.

Azilal tribal are carpets woven by Berber women from the Azilal region for domestic use, they feature abstract and minimalist colorful designs.

Daisy White, Moroccan Weave with Geometric Line Design, Modern, Textured Pile, Natural Undyed Wool, Shabby Chic, Hand Knotted, Oriental Rug — Daisy White, Moroccan Weave with Geometric Line Design, Modern. © 1800getarug.com

Rugs made in Rabat are well known for their diamond shape, flower designs and bare field.

Charcoal Black, Moroccan Weave with Geometric Pattern, Soft Wool, Hand Knotted, Tone on Tone, Textured Pile, Oriental Rug — This handcrafted Moroccan weave is an authentic Pure Wool oriental rug. © 1800getarug.com

Boucherouite (Rag Rugs) beautifully made from scraps of old clothes.

Chilli Pepper Red With Narrow Border, Hand Knotted, 100% Wool, All Over Grid Design, Marmoucha Inspired Moroccan Oriental Rug — This handcrafted Moroccan Marmoucha Design, is an authentic Pure Wool oriental rug. © 1800getarug.com

Moroccan rugs showcase the diversity and history of an entire country, from the ocean side cities to the snow-capped mountains, these rugs take us on a journey of creativeness and connect our spaces with ancient cultures.

The Wonderful Souj Boulak Rugs

Posted on September 29, 2014December 23, 2025 by D F

While considering any kind of interior decoration, you can never consider your interior complete without a carpet or rug. Rugs add delicacy and style to the spaces, whether commercial or household. A fine selection of rug or any carpet piece can help you to enhance the charisma of your living rooms. Rugs are manufactured in a vast variety where the weaving techniques and patterns may vary. However, because of this variety a number of consumers of rugs and carpet industry, all over the world, are entertained with the best collection of rugs and carpets. So whatever the personal preference or taste is you have, the rug according to your choice.
A marvelous rug collection can be to select the Souj Boulak Rugs. These rugs are the discoveries of the magnificent Persian rug industry. The Souj Boulak is the ancient type of Persian rugs with a history dating back to 15th century. Some of the ancient pieces of Souj Boulak rugs made in 1550’s are placed in the art gallery of Persia to praise those ancient artisans. Since the very early toes Persia has been striving for getting prominent position in the world’s rug market. It has become successful in achieving this goal, because of the highly skilled artisans who are employed in a number of home based workshops for weaving Souj Boulak. The term Souj Boulak is sometimes used interchangeably with the Antique rugs, showing the old history of this collection of rugs. The modern day Souj Boulak are based on the weaving patterns and symmetry that was practiced in the old times. Although the looming setups and weaving technologies have developed a lot, yet the Souj Boulak rug represents a particular antique pattern of the rug. The Souj Boulak rugs are exported to a number of different countries all over the globe and liked in different cultural settings.
The traditional looms used in the inception of rug industry in Persia were mostly hand driven. Especially the making of Souj Boulak Rugs involved a great number of skilled artisans and workforce. One of the most prominent features of the Souj Boulak Rug making is the involvement of a large number of women in the rug industry. These women mostly belong to the native villages where rug workshops or looms are established. So to provide the employment opportunities to the native villagers a number of women and men are trained to get involved in the rug making including the Souj Boulak Rug.
The major types of materials used in the making of Souj Boulak rug include the cotton based wool and silk. The original designs of Souj Boulak are based on a traditional layout with central and border motives. The color and dyeing procedures are very diverse using dark red and black colors for dyeing. Among the original patterns of Souj Boulak the most popular designs are Kurdish Souj Boulak and the antique Souj Boulak. These delicate masterpieces are present in a number of art galleries and museums as well as in some royal settings and palaces.
If you are also interested in knowing more about the traditional and historical backgrounds of different types of rugs and carpets, you can visit this page. Knowing about the rich history of these marvelous man made pieces is always hilarious. Souj Boulak is one of the enchanting historical pieces of rugs and carpets that cherish a rich and deep history. You will feel captivation towards these distinguishing rugs. If you want to get more about all types of rugs and carpets you can visit www.1800getarug.com, to enhance your knowledge about all types of rugs and carpets.