A2Z Rug Persian Carpets - Persian Carpets

History of the Persian Carpet

For the people of Iran, Persian carpet-making is not only a representation of their culture. A significant portion of the Iranian population earns their living by weaving the beautiful carpets and rugs. It is well-known that Persian carpets are exquisite possessions and valuable investments that last for ages. But have you ever wondered how this magnificent and intricate piece of art came into existence?

The Persian carpet likely came into being when nomads would cover the muddy floors in their tents with carpet. The exact time and place of the evolution of the carpet has not been ascertained, but Persia has been the carpet-making hub of the world, and the tradition of carpet making has been alive and well for over 2,500 years. From the bare necessity of nomads to keep their tents dry, the Persian carpet soon earned a place in the houses and palaces of rich men.

There is historic evidence that the Persian carpet had achieved an extremely advanced level of development by 5th century B.C. Decades ago two Russian archaeologists named Rudenko and Griaznov found an exquisite knotted carpet with probable Persian origins in the Pazyryk valley in the towering, ice-clad Altai mountains in Siberia. Making the carpet involved considerable technical and artistic expertise, and the carpet was discovered in the tomb of a Scythian prince, which is estimated to be around 2,500 years old.

In 539 B.C. Cyrus conquered Babylon, and was considerably impressed by the rich carpet-making tradition existing there. Many believe the Persian king to be the individual who introduced the art of carpet weaving into Persia as an organized trade to be practiced on a mass scale. Long before this, the nomads of Persia knew the art and are known to have extracted fine quality wool from their sheep to make knotted carpets.

There is also evidence in ancient Chinese documents about Persian carpets, including mention of the Sassanid dynasty, which existed between 224 and 641 A.D. In 628 A.D. Heraclius seized the Sassanian capital Ctesiphon, after which he brought numerous beautiful carpets to the city. Ctesiphon was later invaded by Arabs, who got their hands on the famous and gigantic garden carpet known as the “Springtime of Khosrow”. The carpet, measuring some 400’ by 100’, was cut into sections by the invaders, and is considered the most valuable carpet known to history.

The Turkish tribe called the Seljuks overpowered the Arabs and conquered Persia. The rule of Seljuks between 1038 and 1194 is of great historic significance for the Persian carpet. The women of this tribe were experts in making Turkish knots, which made the Persian carpet very reliable and durable. The Turkish knots are popular even in modern carpet making.

The Persian carpet gained significance under the rulership of Safavids between 1499 and 1722, giving foolproof evidence of the history of Persian carpet-making. During the rulership of the Safavid Shah Abbas, crafts, arts and commerce saw a remarkable growth in Persia that led Persian carpets to be exported to European countries.

The Afghan conquest in 1722 marked a brief period of decline for the Persian carpet trade, but in the latter part of 19th century during the rule of the Qajars, the trade in Persian carpets with Western countries once again flourished. In the 20th century Europeans and Americans set up carpet-making businesses in Persia to produce and market the carpets to the rest of the world. Since then, Persian carpets have become an integral part of Iran’s industry, and the rest of the world has fallen in love with the Persian carpet for its uniquely rich design and its rare craftsmanship.

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