Handmade carpet is a symbol of the Iranian nation.
Every nation has a symbolic commodity that the world remembers that nation by mentioning that commodity; Handmade carpet is the symbol of the Iranian nation among the people of the world and the world knows Iran with its handmade carpet and handmade carpet with Iran.
Carpet experts around the world say that Iranian handmade carpets are the best and most beautiful type of carpets in the world.
Archaeologists and experts believe that the history of weaving and carpet production in Iran dates back to the Safavid era (1736 1501 AD). Scholars believe that the 16th and 17th centuries were the beginning of the flourishing of carpet weaving in Iran.
About one third of the world’s handmade carpets are woven in Iran and 30% of the world handmade carpet export market is held by Iran.
One of the oldest examples of carpets in the world is a carpet with original Achaemenid motifs that was found in the frozen tomb of one of the Scythian rulers in the Pazyryk Valley in Mongolia and is known as the Pazyryk carpet.
One of the other works found in Sassanid Iran and is known as Baharestan Khosrow carpet (Baharestan carpet). After the advent of Islam, carpet weaving became more popular in Mazandaran, Khuzestan and Fars regions as major centers of carpet production.
A number of Seljuk carpets are now available after the Pazyryk, which is the second group of carpets. These carpets were woven in the 7th century AH for the Alaeddin Mosque in Konya.
The golden age of weaving in Iran begins in the 10th century. The Safavid kings were the first indigenous rulers of this country after hundreds of years, and they gladly encouraged this national and indigenous Iranian art.
Weavers who had gathered the experiences of many generations, weaved native Iranian carpets, the most important feature of which is beauty and softness.
After nearly 9 centuries, he was a supporter of the culture and art of carpet weaving. Exquisite carpets were mostly woven in some famous places of Kashan, Herat, Tabriz, Kerman, Jazin and Mashhad.
Also in this period, with the gift of exquisite Iranian carpets to the sultans by Shah Tahmaseb, it was possible to introduce Iranian carpets to other countries.
The patterns woven in the text and background of Iranian carpets symbolically and the visual language are elements beyond a decorative pattern because the Iranian weaver, along with the decorative patterns, undoubtedly thinks of the Iranian spirit hidden in these patterns and the beliefs of his ancestors.
Carpet designs are divided into three forms.
- Plant motifs (tree, plant and garden)
- Animal motifs and themes
- Human motifs.
Among the famous carpets of Iran, we can mention Zanjan carpet, Baseri carpet, Shiraz and Tabriz carpet, Birjand carpet and Baluchi picture carpet.
The national identity of Iranians is the same as their civilization, cultural and artistic identity. There are many symbols and motifs in Iranian culture and civilization that are deeply rooted in the beliefs and fundamentals of Iranians.
The art of carpet weaving is one of the most prominent strategies and an important platform for recognizing Iranian culture and identity with language, symbols and images.
Designs include:
- Design of Islamic antiquities and buildings
- Shah Abbasi plan
- Eslimi plan
- Adapted design
- Bandi (Vagirehii) design
- Sprayer (Afshan) design
- The Botteh Jeqe (Paisely) design
- Tree design
- Turkmen design
- Hunting pattern
- Flower design
- Panel (Kheshti) design
- Vase (Goldani) design
- Tangled fish design
- Prayer (Mehrabi) design
- Striped (Moharramat) plan
- Geometric design
- Tribal and nomadic plan
- Integrated design.