Persian Rugs: A Matter of Culture

Many theorists agree that the origin of the handmade rugbegan in the nomadic tribes of Central Asia. According to restoration-experts.com, the theory states that the nomads were unwilling to kill valuable livestock in order to cover their floors; instead, they used sheep, goat or camel hair to create textiles . The earliest physical evidence of the history of rug making is the Pazyryk carpet, which was discovered in 1949 in a royal tomb in Siberia. The rug had been frozen due to frost, which as a result allowed it to survive to this very day. The Pazyryk rug is remarkable for its age and its craftsmanship, since it was made in a specific style of knotting still used today.

According to the historical information provided by the Persian Carpet House, another remarkable rug of antiquity is the Spring Carpet of Chosroes, which according to legend, when the Persian King Chosroes I defeated the Romans in the conquest of southern Arabia this rug was woven in commemoration of the event. The rug was described as "weighing several tons and measuring 400 feet by 100 feet. Inlaid with precious gems and gold thread, the design was interlaced with road-like paths that the king would use to stroll along as he admired the scenes". With the advent of Islam in the 7^th century carpet weaving had been developing for over two thousand years.

Farsinet.com states that under Islamic rule rug-weaving continued to flourish and branch out into ever evolving styles and artistic expressions. As the lands under Muslim rule expanded, the unified Islamic people fostered an environment of peace and prosperity where the arts and literacy would also thrive. Rug-weaving reached perhaps its "highest form during the reign of the Safavid dynasty in Persia during the 16^th an 17th centuries. According to Farsinet.com, one of the most famous of all Persian carpets is the Ardebil dating from this era". The Ardebil was one of a pair, which came to England in 1893; however, the poor condition of the rug was remedied by using the one rug to repair the other.