Tehrân, Central Persia

A Brief History of Tehrân (Tehran) Carpets

Carpets made in the metropolitan and capital city of Iran, Tehran, are known for their curvilinear patterns and the excellent quality of their wool. Most of these carpets are around fifty years old and tend to be formal workshop products. Today, it is very difficult to find a new carpet from Tehran, unless it has been specially commissioned by museums or rich buyers. Weavers in Tehran make carpets and rugs in many different sizes. However, the majority of them are mid-sized (6' x 4' feet to 10' x 8' feet). The texture of these carpets is usually made up of soft wool that is thin and tightly knotted (between 3500 to 5500 knots per square inch).

This type of carpet has the same type of design as the Veramin carpet but with a special emphasis made on flowers and animals. These carpets in particular tend to reproduce verses of the Koran. Tehran is also one of the few cities in Iran that produces carpets that are woven both with Persian and Turkish knots. One of the most famous master weavers and rug designers of Tehran was Rassam Arabzadeh who died in 1996. He is considered the father of the pictorial carpet in Iran. Today, his works are on display at the Rassam Arabzadeh Carpet Museum and the Carpet Museum of Tehran.The art and carpet weaving industries are important in Tehran because there are numerous workshops and factories for washing, spinning and dyeing of top quality and standardized wool in the city and its outskirts. To learn more about iranian rugs, please visit our Persian Rugs section.

Sources and inspiration: Bérinstain, Valérie, et al. L'art du tapis dans le monde (The art of carpets in the world). Paris: Mengès, 1996. Print.; Jerrehian Jr., Aram K.A. Oriental Rug Primer. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1980. Print.; Herbert, Janice Summers. Oriental Rugs, New York: Macmillan, 1982. Print.; Hackmack, Adolf. Chinese Carpets and Rugs, Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1980. Print. ; De Moubray, Amicia, and David Black. Carpets for the home, London: Laurence King Publishing, 1999. Print.; Jacobsen, Charles. Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide, Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1962. Print.; Bashir, S. (n.d.). Personal interview.; Web site sources and dates of consultation vary (to be confirmed). Without prejudice to official usage.