Shiraz Rug History

Shiraz, with its gardens and historical sites and Persepolis, is located in Fars Province in southern Iran. The rugs woven in Fars Province by nomadic and urban artists are among the most exquisite rugs in Iran. The history of nomadic rugs in this province dates back to the Seleucid and Parthian periods. Most carpets woven in Shiraz are entirely subjective. These improvised and irregular patterns and colors, which represent the simple life of nomads, have made Shiraz rugs very popular all over the world. Currently, the largest export of Iranian handmade rugs is these nomadic and Gabbeh rugs.

                     Fars Province, Iran

Persian Shiraz Rug

The wool needed for Shiraz rugs is gathered by men in spring or autumn. The men also prepare the loom, which is usually horizontal. The women spin the gathered wool by hand and turn it into yarn fluff. They dye the obtained wool fibers with natural dyes such as indigo, walnut shell, pomegranate shell, etc. The responsibility of weaving Shiraz rugs lies with women. They depict patterns of nature, culture, dreams, and interests on the carpet. The nomadic women weave these rugs without any prepared plans. Therefore, no two Shiraz rugs will be the same!

                               Qashqai woman

The dyed wool is knotted on the wool warp and weft to create patterns. After the Shiraz rug is finished, the selvage is sewn and the excess fluff is burned. This cleaning and service is done so that the carpet design can be seen beautifully and clearly. Nomadic mothers pass on their weaving skills from generation to generation to their daughters. The daughters weave necessities such as dowry rugs, salt bags, and bags and take them with them to their husbands’ homes. Read about dowry rugs!

                      Vintage Shiraz Rug

Shiraz Rugs Features

• Shiraz rugs are woven with wool fibers on a wool or cotton warp and sometimes goat hair.
• Most Shiraz rugs have a geometric design.
• The design of Shiraz Persian rugs is either in the form of several consecutive medallions or birds woven geometrically.
• Iranian Shiraz rugs are usually woven with an average number of 120 knots per square inch (120 KPSI).
• These carpets are very strong and of high quality.
• Asymmetrical knots are mostly used for Shiraz rugs.
• The number of colors of Persian Shiraz rugs is limited and in new rugs, it eventually reaches about 14 colors.
• Shiraz rugs are among the light and soft carpets.
• The loom used for Shiraz area rugs is horizontal.

What are Fars Rugs?

There are different tribes living in Fars province, each of which weaves different carpets. In addition to Shiraz rugs, we can also mention Qashqai rugs, Abadeh rugs, Baseri rugs and Gabbeh rugs, etc. We will briefly explain each of them below.

Qashqai Shiraz rugs 

The Qashqai tribes of Fars Province usually live around Shiraz. They move twice a year between the pastures near the Persian Gulf in the cold season and around the Zagros Mountains in the hot season. They live in tents made of goat hair. Read about the black tent.
Handmade rug weaving is one of the handicrafts of the Qashqai tribes, which mainly includes mental designs and central medallion. In the Qashqai rug, you can see elements of birds, flowers and paintings of columns and lions of Persepolis.

                              Qashqai rug

Abadeh rugs

The city of Abadeh is located between Shiraz and Isfahan. Abadeh rugs have flower and vase designs and the colors of these carpets are usually red, blue, and brown. This carpet usually has a six-sided bergamot in the center. What makes Abadeh rugs among good carpets is their high quality. You can read more about Abadeh rugs in this article.

Gabbeh rug

The Shiraz Gabbeh is perhaps one of the most popular handmade Iranian rugs. Gabbeh is a type of rug that is woven mentally and very simply by the nomads of Shiraz. Gabbeh is a little bulky and its thickness reaches 2.5 centimeters. Hand-spun wool and vegetable dyes are used to weave Gabbeh. Of course, Indian and Chinese weavers have tried to copy Gabbeh, but there is a huge difference between the quality of Iranian Gabbeh and carpets produced by others. Don’t miss this article about Gabbeh!

                     Qashqai Gabbeh rug

Baseri Rug

Baseri(Basiri) is the name of a tribe around Shiraz. Among the carpets of Fars province, Baseri rugs are easily recognized due to the orange color used for weaving. Baseri rugs are all-wool and are of high quality. Often, mental motifs are used to weave this carpet.

                                Baseri rug

Shiraz Rug for sale

As we said, Shiraz rugs are among the exquisite and unique rugs of Iran that are woven with love. Each carpet that is produced is a repository of the hopes and dreams of the nomadic weaver woman, which adds to the spiritual beauty of the rug. The price of a Shiraz rug depends on factors such as its age, size, design, and materials. If you love buying Shiraz rugs, it is better to visit reputable stores. You can also contact the experts of the Vernacarpets online collection and discuss your request with them.

               Antique Qashqai Rug