Tag: Modern Persian Rugs

The Three Periods of Persian Rugs

Posted on by D F

Persian Rugs are so much more than a comfy piece of furniture to rub your toes in. It is a vital part of the Persian culture and known more as an art piece than as a bit of furniture. Their history, which some interpret dates back to 500 B.C.E, can be divided into three periods of Persian rugs over the course of time.

The Zoroasterian Period

Found in a grace of a Scythian prince, the Pazyryk carpet was discovered during an archaeological excavation in the Pazyryk Valley of Siberia in 1949. This is the earliest known example of Persian rugs, although most archaeological discovereies from this era are usually no more than a few remaining worn out bits of fabric.

The Islamic Period

Starting in the 8th century C.E., the Azarbaijan Province in Iran became the most powerful carpet weaving area in the world. During the reigns of the Seljuq and Iilkhanate dynasties, carpet weaving expanded and flourished to such a poresitigious degree that a mosque in northwestern Iran even chose to have itself covered in Persian rugs.

The Modern Period

Today, modern Persian carpet production has been mostly mechanized, although hand woven carpets are still produced and available from all around the world. In fact, Iran exported over $500 million worth of hand woven carpets annually since 2002 (although many other countries produce replicas available for cheaper costs).

Persian Rugs and the Achaemenid Empire

Posted on by D F

Persia, also known as Iran, was once the political center of the world. The Achaemenid Empire (550-33 B.C.E) held a huge expanse of land, stretching from the Indus Valley to Thrace and Macedon in the north, all the way to present day Liberia in the east. It was the Persian Empire that freed the Jewish people from Babylon, that warred with the Greek city states and that instituted an official language (Aramaic).

Eventually, the empire weakened when the king delegated power to local governors, undermining his own status and causing difficulty in the quelling of local rebellions. This eventually led to Alexander the Great’s reign over the empire. Alexander greatly respected Cyrus the Great, and adopted the Persian technique of proskynesis, or lying prostrate before royalty, into Macedonian culture. Cyrus the Great had huge area rugs, which are said to have dazzled Alexander.

During these peaceful times, the arts flourished, and stone-cutting and carpet weaving became important aspects of Persian cultural heritage. This is when the Pazyryk carpet and others of the world’s oldest area rugs were created. These hand knotted rugs evolved to become world renowned throughout the Ancient and Modern Eras. Today, Persian rugs are still widely known to be the best.