Persian Rugs - An Essential Part of a Rich Culture, History and Heritage

Whenever I hear the words Persia or Persian, I think of three things immediately. Persian food, cats and.......rugs or carpets. Of course, there is far more to the rich history and culture of Persia than cats, food and floor coverings. However, there is little doubt that Persian rugs are probably the most famous in the world, and rightly so given their heritage, their artistic credentials, and their endurance once woven.

While the oldest known Persian carpet is only a few hundred years old, there is ample evidence through pictured depictions, that the craft of hand weaving carpets or rugs has been going on in Persia (now Iran) for thousands, not hundreds, of years.

While some carpets and area rugs from the region are now machine made, they have lost none of their rich tradition, and hand weaving is still carried out. The hand woven rugs tend to be a bit more expensive, which is not surprising given the several months time span it takes an individual to weave the rug. Exactly how long, and how much the rug will cost, of course depends on the size, and the quality. Overall, though, you can expect the quality of genuine Persian carpets to be very high.

Iranian rugs are still made in some of the regions and cities that have produced them for many hundreds of years. There are many distinctive styles, which tend to be named after the city or area where they are made.