Persian carpet reigns supreme

Persian carpet reigns supreme
Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:56:44

Iran exports 83 percent of carpets woven in the country.

Producing some 40% of the carpets woven in the world, Iranian carpet weavers have obtained the first place in the global carpet industry.

“The country's carpet exports during the first 10 months of last year amounted to around $340 million and is expected to rise further thanks to better planning and provision of more support to weavers, designers and traders,” Seyyed Jalaleddin Bassam, managing director of the Iran Carpet Company said.

Some 1.2 million people are employed in the industry as weavers of carpets, kilims, jajims and other types of traditional carpeting, with another 300 thousand engaged in related activities, Bassam said.

He put the country's total carpet production at about 5.8 million square meters last year, adding that Iran exports 83 percent of carpets woven in the country.

The Persian carpet is a world of artistic magnificence nurtured for more than 2,500 years. The Iranians are known to be among the first carpet weavers of the world's ancient civilizations and through centuries of creativity have achieved a unique degree of excellence in their highly elaborate trade.

Iranian carpet market needs promotion

Iranian carpet market needs promotion
Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:51:18

Persian carpets

Major Iranian carpet traders warn about the current situation of the country's carpet markets in Europe, seeking ways to promote sales.

In a meeting with the Managing Director of Iran Carpet Joint Stock Co. Jalaleddin Bassam in Paris, traders said high prices have overshadowed Iranian carpets elegant quality.

"Buyers prefer to purchase Pakistan's low-quality commercial carpets, which are three times cheaper than Iranian ones," IRNA quoted traders as saying.

"Iranian commercial carpet only accounts for 10-20 percent of the European carpet market," said one dealer.

Another urged government's financial support in a bid to reduce the cost of Iranian commercial carpets.

Iranian commercial carpets do not come in fashionable colors, and do not meet European consumers taste, traders added.

Bassam, however, dismissed the idea of state subsidies on carpets arguing that the act would result in unrealistic prices.

“The key to improvement of Iranian carpet sales in Europe lies within extensive promotion and advertisement in local European televisions, as well as innovative ways of producing and delivering Iranian carpets,” he concluded.

Sheikh Safi mausoleum, a Safavid art gallery

Sheikh Safi mausoleum, a Safavid art gallery
Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:24:03
By Tamara Ebrahimpour, Press TV, Tehran The Sheikh Safi mausoleum in Iran's Ardebil Province is one of the country's most beautiful historical and Islamic structures, which dates back to the 14th century.

The complex is the resting place of Sheikh Safi, the Safavid spiritual leader along with Shah Ismail I and a number of Safavid princes and generals.

The mausoleum is composed of a group of stunning architectural structures including Sheikh Safi's and Shah Ismail's tomb-chambers, the Chini Khaneh (china hall), the Qandil Khaneh (lantern hall) and the Haram Khaneh (Ladies Quarters).

The Allah Allah dome

Sheikh Safi's tomb-chamber is a cylindrical tower capped with a low dome, under which a large decorative medallion, made of colored staccato is attached.

The tomb-chamber's walls are covered with floral canvas curtains, which match the medallion's colorful patterns.

An exquisite wooden box, once decorated with jewelry, marks the late Sheikh Safi's grave.

Inside the Allah Allah dome

The Allah-Allah dome, which was built after Sheikh Safi's death, is tiled with beautiful azure ceramics covered with the word Allah. A row of white tiles adorns the blue background with Qur'anic verses.

The interior of the cylindrical structure is decorated with exquisite paintings.

The tomb of Shah Ismail I consists of a small rectangular room with a beautiful illuminated dome and staccato manuscripts.

Qandil Khaneh (Lantern Hall)

The dome is lower than Sheikh Safi's and decorated with colorful tiles and Kufic inscriptions.

The walls shine with golden floral patterns and splendid azure tiles, which beautifully reflect the sunlight.

The building has a number of blind arcades and alcoves decorated with priceless 11th century pottery.

Qandil Khaneh (Lantern Hall)

A wooden box decorated with finely engraved panels and delicate geometric shapes made of ivory and ebony lays atop Shah Ismail's tomb.

A background of red silk adorned with shiny turquoise brings out the color of the ivory.

Qandil Khaneh is a rectangular structure covered with polished stones and a stone lavabo in the shape of a petal.

The Ardebil Carpet

The building, which was once used as a prayer room, is adorned with register patterns and Qur'anic words written out with Persian tiles.

The eye-catching structure is named after the numerous lanterns, which were used to illuminate the complex.

Shah Tahmasb I (1524-76), the second Safavid king ordered the most famous Persian carpets, the Ardebil Carpets for Qandil Khaneh.

Chini Khaneh (China Hall)

The Qandil Khaneh carpets, the finest of their kind during the Safavid era, have been separated with one pair currently in London's Victoria and Albert Museum and the other in Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Chini Khaneh (The China Hall), a domed octagonal room with four alcoves, was originally used as a meeting hall.

Shah Abbas I refurbished the original monument and changed it into a place to store his collection of Ming and Celadon porcelains presented to him by the Chinese Emperor.

A portion of this treasury was later used to fund the country's wars the Russians took some of the remaining items to Saint Petersburg, which are now housed in the Hermitage museum, and the rest were moved to museums in Tehran.

Chini khaneh was recently turned into a Safavid museum and the porcelain collection housed in Tehran museums where returned and put on display.

Haram khaneh (Ladies Quarters)

Haram khaneh (Ladies Quarters) is the oldest part of the complex, which was built upon Sheikh Safi's order about 700 years ago.

The bodies of 10 Safavid Ladies including Sheikh Safi's sister, wife and daughters have been laid to rest in the rectangular building.

Sheikh Safi's mausoleum also includes a mosque called Jannat Sara (the house of paradise), Khanaqah (the house of Dervishes), Shahid Khaneh (the house of martyrs), and Chelleh Khaneh where dervishes used to stay during their forty-day ritual recluse.

Haram khaneh (Ladies Quarters)

Despite numerous expansions and restorations, Sheikh Safi's mausoleum still attracts numerous visitors every year.

Carpet cleaning - Spring Cleaning: The house or the heart?

Spring Cleaning: The house or the heart?
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:24:33
By F. Mardi, Press TV, Tehran You walk into a house and say: "Wow! It looks like a magazine!" You might think to yourself: "She must have too much time on her hands," or "I'm glad my husband isn't a neat freak like hers." But deep inside you want a house just as tidy and clean and organized.

You know it is hard work, so you call it sour grapes or put it off forever. What about when guests are coming over during the holidays, what about when your kids have play-dates?

What do you do then? You shove all the clutter into one room and still make no decision to tackle it. It's something we've all done; there's no use being ashamed of it. Then comes the New Year and along with it - resolutions. Losing weight, and balancing your career and family life are usually at the top of the list. Somewhere on the list is having a better environment to live in; more importantly, maintaining a safe and healthy environment for you and your family.

We all want a lovely home, but sometimes finding time to clean up or making the decision to pitch unneeded items is difficult. Saving things in moderation is considered normal. When carried too far, this impulse is considered to be a clinical obsessive-compulsive disorder. Compulsive hoarding "is not laziness, criminal negligence or failure to attend to the responsibilities of life," explains Sanjaya Saxena, MD, director of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Program at the University of California, San Diego. "It is, in fact, a neuropsychiatric disorder that will not get better unless the person is treated." According to Branscum's article "The Hoarding Syndrome -- When Clutter Goes Out Of Control" Readers' Digest,) March, 2007), as many as three million to six million Americans may be afflicted by this disorder at some level.

This is serious. Since ancient times, Iranians have had certain customs about cleaning. Muslims believe that "An-nezhafat-o men-al-iman" meaning cleanliness is an aspect of faith.

It is very close to what Christians believe that cleanliness is next to Godliness. Near the Persian New Year, this tendency to clean reaches its climax. Khane-tekani, literally "shaking your house", meaning spring cleaning, is an ancient ritual carried out in Iran 'til this very day. It needs to be done, no questions asked.

All family members and sometimes hired help chip in and do their part: from washing the walls and carpets to emptying all the cupboards and closets. It's something people talk about in the check-out lines. "Did you finish your spring cleaning? I'm almost finished with mine,"…

The question I'm proposing at this point is what about our hearts? We pay so much attention to our living environment, which is great, but what about our minds and souls?

We constantly dust and wash and scrub, and we still have major cleaning to do for the New Year. What about our souls? Do we really spend all that much time on cleaning and reorganizing the space we have in our hearts and minds?

In our hearts, there might be grudges against old friends or family members. It only takes a phone call to clear it up and make that part of our heart shine like it has been lovingly polished.

There may be negative thoughts stopping us from reaching our goals. With some positive thinking and good planning we can remove those debilitating stains.

There may be feelings of jealousy towards others lurking in our hearts. The jealousy will eat away at our bodies and souls and never stop. Now is the time to remove it.

Unfortunately, there is no ultra 1-2-3 spray to remove all the stains from our hearts. Sometimes we manage to clean a particular spot in our heart, but we haven't paid it enough attention for it to heal. The heart needs personal and continuous care. Take the time and make a habit of caring for your heart and soul. Have a check-up once in a while.

Why wait until it's too late? Why put ourselves off? What is so important that isn't letting us move forward? Each person has to perform an inventory on their own. Each of us has to see what's in our own heart, what should be there that isn't and what shouldn't be there - but is.

We can go at it slowly. Number one: devote more time to those important relationships. Why not take baby steps? Make an effort to communicate in a more positive way. Try spending less time on the phone at home. At meal times, ask how the people you care about are. You might even have to make room in your busy schedule to have a meal time! How is it that we can devise plans for billion-dollar businesses and not manage to see what we need to succeed personally and spiritually? Every heart needs another to comfort it. In this world where we try to get ahead by doing things by ourselves, being lonely will not get us anywhere.

Spring cleaning of the heart should be a family undertaking, just like spring cleaning of the house. Everyone should help each other. It's tough, nobody said it was easy. Anything worth having is worth struggling to achieve. Take into consideration why we were put here on earth. I think you'll agree that it wasn't only to sip tea or sit on the couch and watch TV.

Don't let the clutter in your house get out of control. Don't let the clutter in your heart get out of control either. It's just as important. In the first case, you might have the Hoarding Syndrome, but when too many negative things crowd your heart - well, let's just say it's not a pretty sight.

It doesn't matter where you are from, take the Persian New Year as another opportunity to start a good life. You matter! A whole person is one who cares for his heart and home. It's just like everything else in this world, it's a cycle. It never ends. Each time you think you have finished something, just realize that it's actually the beginning of something else.

May God give you strength to continue doing what is right until you reach what you are worthy of.

Looking forward to receiving your comments or questions at mardi@presstv.ir!

Garden Carpets: The Paradise gardens of Persia

The Paradise gardens of Persia
Sat, 03 May 2008 15:36:40
By Hedieh Ghavidel, Press TV, Tehran For the ancient Persians the symbol of eternal life was a tree with a stream at its roots. The sacred miracle tree contained the seeds of all within itself.

Tree planting was a sacred occupation and this reverence was deeply seated in the souls of the Persians.

Historical accounts tell us about gardens named Paradise filled with all things fair and good that the earth can bring forth.

The Persian Paradise garden gets its name from the old Persian word pairadaeza, meaning an enclosed area. The Achaemenid idea of an earthly paradise eventually infiltrated other cultures and was later translated into Latin as hortus conclusus, the enclosed garden, which came to symbolize the Garden of Eden.

Subsequently the English word paradise has its roots in the old Persian word pairadaeza.

The first writer to make reference to a Persian garden using the word "paradise" was the Greek narrator Xenophon. The word appears in Avestan text only in the form of Pairadaeza.

The Old Testament describes Pleasure gardens as sacred enclosures rising in terraces planted with trees and shrubs, forming an artificial hill such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Not only were palaces and temples enclosed within gardens, but every city had private and sometimes public gardens which were opened to all during Persian New Year celebrations.

Persian gardens were places where shade and cool water could be privately enjoyed. They were places of spiritual solace, meeting places for friends and formal adjuncts to the houses or palaces they surrounded.

For more than three thousand years, the Persian garden has been the focus of Iranian imagination, influencing the country's art as well as literature.

Persian garden carpet

The lavish use of flowers in such gardens inspired the weaving of floral designs into what are known as garden-carpets.

Persian gardens influenced garden design around the world and became the foundation of Islamic and later European garden traditions, an example of which can be seen in the Mughal gardens of India namely the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The paved and tiled Andalusian courtyards with arcades, pools and fountains testify to their Persian roots.

It is reputed that the main design for the Versailles Gardens has replicated the outlines of the paradise gardens of Pasargadae and provided inspiration for the gardens of the Louvre.

The remains of a garden pavilion, Pasargadae

According to historical accounts, paradise gardens were primarily hunting-parks with fruit-trees grown for food. The bronze works datable to 1000 BCE unearthed in Luristan province are adorned with trees next to streams.

The first excavations at the ruins of the palaces in Persepolis ignored the question of gardens and neglected Garden Archaeology, the scientific study of the physical evidence of gardens recovered through excavation.

However, palaces scattered according to no rule and raised above three terraces with large open stairways brought to the mind of Garden archaeologists the simplest form of Persian garden; a rectangle of water, with enough of a flow to give it life and movement, and a raised platform to view it from.

An example of a Chahar Bagh water channel, Pasargadae

Further excavation in Pasargadae led to the discovery of the first monumental garden, at least in western Asia, securing a place for Persian gardens in the history of garden design.

Archaeologists discovered that the four-fold garden accords with the traditional Persian garden plan known today as Chahar Bagh.

Considering the fact that the Achaemenid monarch Cyrus was known as the "King of the Four Quarters", it can be asserted that later-day Persian gardens owed their origins to the novel garden plan of Cyrus.

The Chahar Bagh plan is a quadrangular/rectangular canal pattern in which waterways or pathways are used to quarter the garden, a layout intended to bring to mind the four rivers of the Garden of Eden.

All Persian gardens have vertical lines in their design, a central structure built on the highest point of the garden, a main waterway, a large pool in front of the structure to reflect the building, and a close relationship with nature.

Earth, water, vegetation and atmosphere are the most important elements in paradise gardens. Underground water canals called Qanat irrigated the gardens which were often built on slopes to facilitate the natural flow of water or create artificial waterfalls.

Trees and flowers are planted in gardens based on their usefulness; therefore, a Persian garden has more fruit trees, then shade trees and finally flowers.

Achaemenid inscriptions bear witness to the importance of symmetrical designs in Persian gardens. The Chahar Bagh School stresses the necessity of planting trees and flowers in regular rows.

Fruit trees bring to mind rebirth and spring; strictly aligned sycamore trees, the symbol of eternal life, provide shade while roses, jasmines and other flowers intoxicate with their heavenly scent.

The most basic feature of a Persian garden is the enclosure of the cultivated area, which excludes the wildness of nature, includes the tended greenery of the garden and makes elaborate use of water in canals, ponds, rills and sometimes fountains.

A recurring theme in many paradise gardens is the contrast between the formal garden layout and the informality provided by free-growing plants.

Persians placed great importance on having their tombs surrounded by woodlands and gardens. According to historical accounts, the tomb of Cyrus the Great was enclosed by four gardens and a grove.

This tradition has continued to the present time and can be seen at the graves of prominent Iranian figures such as the poets Hafez and Sa'di in Shiraz.

The resting place of Hafiz, Shiraz, Iran

The resting place of Hafiz, a famous tourism hub, pleases the eyes of visitors with its cypresses, poplars, cedars flowering shrubs and rose bushes.

Persian gardens are pleasances of water, meadow, trees and flowers in which buildings take a subordinate position.

To this day, the size and beauty of these gardens continues to amaze visitors sitting under the shade of cypress trees to enjoy looking at the sky reflected in the central pool while taking in the sweet aroma of beautiful flowers.

For comments or questions please contact hedieh.ghavidel@presstv.ir

Sirjan Rugs: Meymand, living antiquity

Meymand, living antiquity
Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:13:36
Meymand, a village near Babak (a city in the suburb of Sirjan township) in Kerman province, is undoubtedly one of the most ancient homes of man on earth. The village dates back to some 12,000 years ago and still lives on.

Researchers hold the early inhabitants of Meymand set it up at the time when the Persians were practicing Mithraists. Honoring the rituals of Mithraism, they chose dimly lit caves to say their prayers and carved out chambers and niches in the mountains to place their dead. Therefore, one can find numerous temples and tombs in this region, all cut into the mountain walls.

The Mithraists believed in the endurance, stability and imperishability of mountains and inspired by this belief, they dug out their domiciles in the heart of the rocks.

Some experts are of the opinion that chiseled out by Mithraists, the caves merely served as places of worship or burial chambers. However, strictured by severe climatic changes, their architects were compelled to make the caves their dwelling .

Mithraism was the dominant religion believed and practiced in pre-Zoroastrian Iran and it even lingered a good while after the dawn of Zoroastrianism.

Recent historical findings illuminate that Zoroastrianism emerged some 6,000 years before the birth of Christ. Thus, considering the fact that Meymand was founded by Mithraists, who predated the Zoroastrians, the date 6,000 B.C. may be the closest point of time we can posit for the foundation of the village.

10,000-year-old stone-carvings and 6,000-year-old pottery works discovered at the site are among telltale documents depicting the protracted history of Meymand.

Due to the impregnable position of its fortifications, Meymand suffered very little social or physical changes during history.

An extremely old complex of houses, temples, castles and fortifications has raised the status of Meymand from a simple village to a sample of an unrivaled civilization.


Religion

The religious values of the inhabitants of Meymand were originally rooted in Iran's era of Mithraism and later Zoroastrianism. After the arrival of Islam in Iran, Meymand villagers, who were born Zoroastrians, converted to Shia Islam and made lots of sacrifices for their new cult in the history of Islam in Iran.

The present peoples of the village are Jafari Shia Muslims. The ancient Mithraist and Zoroastrian cave chambers and temples have now been transformed into mosques and Hosseiniehs (places dedicated to Ashurah ceremonies in which the Muslims mourn the death of Hussein, their prophet's grandson, who was murdered at Karbala). Yet, the main function of these prayers sites has still remained unchanged, i.e. praising God.


The village mosque, besides functioning as a center for religious congregations, also serves as a forum for villagers to exchange views.


Natural Beauties

Meymand has a temperate mountainous climate. It has cold winters and mild summers. The village is flanked on one side by a plain and on the other by mountains.

The plain lies in the distance between Meymand and Babak and in the past it abounded with pistachios and wild almonds which have in time shrunk to only certain regions in the nearby plains. Closer to the village, mulberries are found in great numbers.


The Meymand plain is also home to different species of desert animals such as snakes, scorpions, lizards, porcupines, turtles, etc

Among wild animals occurring in the mountains of Meymand mention can be made of the antelope, wild ass, leopard, fox, wolf, wild goat and various species of birds of prey.

The flow of a few seasonal creeks and springs as well as the presence of numerous qanats (underground channels, or tunnels excavated to carry subterranean waters) have contributed greatly to the agriculture in this region.

Cultivated lands, just like any other natural beauty, caress the eyes of every beholder who steps into the village, especially in spring when it is crowned with the blossoming of natural beauty.


Economy

The economy of the villagers is hinged on three pivotal careers: agriculture, animal husbandry and carpet weaving. Among the trio, carpet weaving is given more attention, and Meymand carpets are among the best in the world.

The touch of technology has not exempted this hamlet so that it has both electricity and piped water. However, its people still shun the use of modern equipment as far as possible in meeting their needs.

In early spring, families focus on breeding livestock and producing dairy products. Later in summer they collect wild pistachios, wild almonds and grow almond, walnut and cumin. It should be noted that Meymand walnuts and almonds are well-renowned.


Meymand Topography

Rock houses are built on different levels (2 to 5) by chiseling horizontal cuts into the precipice. These cuts, called kicheh, measure 6 to 9 meters in length and they are dug into the precipice to the extent that enough height is provided for chiseling out the upper house.

The end of a kicheh reaches a terrace-like area known as the dalan which is a very important element in a neighborhood, for most daily family affairs take place there. The doors of 1 to 5 rock houses open to a dalan. There are around 400 large and small kichehs in Meymand.

The interior of a house is either square-shaped or round and in the past it was illuminated when the daylight shone in through an opening of 75 to 76 cm high. The wooden entrance doors are equipped with a latch known as the koleydun (keyhole) which fits into a hole drilled in one side of the stone doorpost when closed.

The entrance of a room in these houses is roughly shaped like the outline of a human body. It is narrower at the bottom of the door and gradually gets wider in the upper part at shoulder width.

The foot of a door is raised about 15 to 20 cm above the level of the kicheh which doesn't let water and dust getting into the house.

Kerman Area rug Weavers: Meymand Thriving After 12 Centuries

Meymand Thriving After 12 Centuries

Meymand, a village near Babak in Kerman province, is undoubtedly one of the most ancient homes of man on earth. The village dates back to some 12,000 years ago and is still inhabited.
Researchers believe early inhabitants were practicing Mithraists, the website Irpedia reported.
Origin
Honoring the rituals of Mithraism, they chose dimly lit caves to say their prayers and carved out chambers and niches in the mountains to place their dead. Therefore, one can find numerous temples and tombs in this region, all cut into the mountain walls.
Mithraists believed in the endurance, stability and imperishability of mountains and inspired by this belief, they dug out their domiciles in the heart of the rocks.
Some experts are of the opinion that the caves merely served as places of worship or burial chambers. However, because of severe climatic changes, their architects were compelled to make the caves their dwelling places.
Mithraism was the dominant religion believed and practiced in pre-Zoroastrian Iran and even lingered a good while after the dawn of Zoroastrianism.
Recent historical findings show that Zoroastrianism emerged some 6,000 years before the birth of Christ. Thus, considering the fact that Meymand was founded by Mithraists, who predated the Zoroastrians, the date 6,000 B.C. may be the closest point of time we can posit for the foundation of the village.
Stone-carvings belonging to 10,000 years ago and 6,000-year-old pottery works discovered at the site are among evidences of the antiquity of Meymand.
Due to the impregnable position of its fortifications, Meymand suffered very little social or physical change during history.
The extremely old complex of houses, temples, castles and fortifications has raised the status of Meymand from a simple village to a specimen of an unrivaled civilization.
Religion
The beliefs of the inhabitants of Meymand were originally rooted in Mithraism and later Zoroastrianism. After the arrival of Islam in Iran, Meymand villagers, who were born Zoroastrians, converted to Shiite Islam and made lots of sacrifices in the history of Islamic Iran.
Converts transformed their cave chambers and temples into mosques and Hosseiniehs (places dedicated to religious ceremonies).
Mosque, besides functioning as a center of religious congregations, also serves as a forum for villagers to exchange views.

Natural Beauty
Meymand has a temperate mountainous climate. It has cold winters and mild summers. The village is flanked on one side by a plain and on the other by mountains.
The plain lies between Meymand and Babak, and in the past abounded with pistachios and wild almonds which gradually shrunk to few areas. Closer to the village, mulberries are found in great numbers.
Meymand is also home to different species of desert animals such as snakes, scorpions, lizards, porcupines and turtles. Some of the wild animals found in the mountains of Meymand include the antelope, wild ass, leopard, fox, wolf, wild goat and various birds of prey.
Flow of water from a few seasonal creeks and springs as well as the presence of numerous underground canals excavated to carry subterranean waters have contributed greatly to agricultural activity in this region.
Cultivated lands, like any other natural sight, attract the attention of those who enter the village, especially in spring when it is crowned with blossoming trees.

Economy
Economy of the residents hinges on three pivotal activities: agriculture, animal husbandry and carpet weaving. Of the trio, carpet weaving is given more attention and Meymand carpets are among the best in the world.
Urban development has not exempted this hamlet and it has both electricity and piped water. However, its people still shun the use of modern equipment as far as possible.
In early spring, families focus on breeding livestock and producing dairy products. In summer, they collect wild pistachios, wild almonds and grow almond, walnut and cumin. It should be noted that Meymand walnuts and almonds are of high quality.

Topography
Rock houses are built on different levels by chiseling horizontal cuts into the precipice. These cuts, called kicheh, measure 6 to 9 meters in length and are dug into the precipice to the extent that enough height is provided for chiseling out the upper house.
The end of a kicheh reaches a terrace-like area known as the dalan which is a very important element in a neighborhood, for most daily family affairs take place there. The doors of 1 to 5 rock houses open to a dalan. There are around 400 large and small kichehs in Meymand.
Interior of a house is either square-shaped or round and illuminated by daylight that enters an opening of 75 to 76 cm. Wooden doors are equipped with a latch known as koleydun (keyhole) which fits into a hole drilled in one side of the stone doorpost when closed.
Entrance of a room in these houses is roughly shaped like a human body. It is narrower at the bottom of the door and gradually gets wider in the upper part at shoulder length.
The foot of a door is raised about 15 to 20 cm above the level of the kicheh which doesn’t let water and dust get into the house.
Iranians are visiting the village in large numbers as it is being publicized in the domestic media.

Arak Rugs: Arak Rug Art of Powerful Hands

Arak Rug Art of Powerful Hands

Arak province has a long history in carpet weaving. According to historical evidence and local situation of this province, carpet weaving in certain parts, like Sarough, Farahan, Saraband and Moradabad dates back to ancient times. According to Caroun website, after the Sassanid era, the carpet weaving was neglected for many centuries. Due to such negligence and also because of continuous wars in central regions of Iran, no authentic information on establishment of big workshops and important carpets is available.
In the middle of Nassereddin Shah’s reign, Arak rugs had a perceptible presence, so rugs of this region were known all over the world.
As Arak is near Qom, Kashan, Isfahan and Hamedan, designers and weavers of Kashan, Kerman and Isfahan have directly taken part in reviving Arak carpet weaving some native patterns of those regions can be seen in Arak rugs.
In 1875 (during Nassereddin Shah’s era) for the first time, Tabriz businessmen exported products from Arak and its counties.
Historical references show that people of Arak were experts in preparing dyes, dyeing and weaving carpets until the beginning of the 20th century. In Europe, fine rugs of Iran are known as ’Sarough’ (after a region in Arak).
Particularities and Materials
Arak rug is coarse and well-known for its native-regional characteristics and based on the use of wool, dye, plain and mostly rustic designs. It is noteworthy that coarse rug is thick with long and resistance piles that make it suitable for elasticity. Such quality of Arak rug makes it suitable for cold and mountainous regions of Markazi province.
The basic characteristics of Arak rug are that it uses native wool, hand-spun yarns, local dyes and traditional dyeing methods.
Ancient rugs of Moshkabad (in Markazi province), are well-known for their durability all over the world. It goes without saying that the fame of Arak rug is attributed to dyeing methods and making use from basic designs. However, the most important characteristic of Arak rug is related to making use from long and elastic wool. Such quality is seen in quality rugs of Sarough type (Farahan region).
Wool used in these rugs is mostly fine Iranian wool with long, thick and special crimp which is spun by hand or by common spinning wheel.
Such kinds of wool have been supplied from Sabzevar, Boroujerd, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Hamedan and Kermanshah regions which have the best quality rugs.
Arak rugs are categorized in three groups: Mahal, Moshkabad and Sarough, which are all influenced by a rug named “Sarough“.
There are many different reasons for the high quality of Arak rugs, including numerous native sheep. This wool has all specifications which are required for carpet, like long crimp, thickness and fine elasticity, as well as softness.
Dye and Color
While using colorful dyes in rugs has a positive impact, it must be mentioned which Arak rugs had become well-known for its colors.
Most ancient rugs of Sarough with its famous milky color, Farahan rugs with splendid blue color and Moshkabad rugs with its famous wool have been exported to world markets and now are found in museums and private collections.
Traditional natural and herbal dyes are mostly used in Arak. Cochineal, a colorful insect, which is used as a dye, or azure, which is extracted from cobalt or mine stones.
All of these colors, Farahan’s blue, Moshkabad’s azure or Sarough’s milky-red, are well-known in this region. Green and yellowish cream colors obtained from rich compounds of herbs and walnut shell, vine leaf, pomegranate shell dyes, each has a valuable share in dyeing. Fame of well-known ’Sarough Rug’, like other ancient rugs of this region, is attributed to the use of traditional herbal dyes.

Weaving
If top marks are given to design, dye and use of basic materials in quality and desirability of ancient rugs, the next important parameter will be correct and adequate weaving to preserve reasonable standards of size and knots.

Designs and Images
Apparently, fame of traditional herbal dyeing has been the main reason behind attractiveness of Arak rugs. It would be na•ve to relate weaving of the past to limited dyes (though of best quality). Most attractiveness and fame of ancient Farahan region and Sarough, even Arak rugs is found in local characteristics, as well as design patterns and pictures of such rugs.
In the era of Fathali Shah until the end of Nasseredin Shah’s rule, existing rugs had complete regional and local identity. Those known as ancient Farahan and Moshkabad rugs are not related to today’s Arak rugs which have monotonous and conventional images.
Certain traditional images, like fish, paisley, corner-medallion and a pattern belonging to Shalle weaving “Almond“, which come from Kerman or Kashan, on relatively coarse rugs--and also existence of some special images in ancient rugs of Khamseh, Saraband, Lilian, Sarough and Moshkabad--signifies that in the central Iran and near an area called Arak today carpet weaving has been very popular.