Rug History

Rug weaving is an ancient craft whose origins are lost in prehistory. Ancient rug making tools have been excavated at archaeological sites throughout the Middle East. The oldest hand-woven pile carpet in existence dates from the 4th century BC. This carpet, known internationally as the Pazyryk carpet, was discovered in 1949 frozen inside a burial mound in Siberia. Many experts believe the Pazyryk carpet was woven in the Caucasus (where the countries of present-day Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia intersect). Other experts note the similarity of the carpet's woven motifs to the architectural motifs found at Persepolis, the ancient capitol of Persia, and conclude the rug must have been woven there.

No matter where this carpet was woven, the technique of creating a soft pile by knotting and compacting wool yarn is the same technique used by carpet weavers today. While there exist various other ancient fragments of rugs and textiles, the second oldest intact carpet still in existence dates only from around the 13th century. Luckily, many ancient texts provide details of the great historical rugs that came before. Alexander the Great is said to have discovered Cyrus the Great's tomb resting on fine carpets. The Sui annals state that woolen rugs from Persia were being exported to China during the 6th and 7th centuries. When the Arabs conquered Persia, the historical Winter carpet of Khosrow (531-579 AD), which was woven with gold and silver threads and sewn with jewels, was taken as booty by the conquering Arabs. The Arab historian Tabari wrote that 60,000 soldiers were paid with fragments of this carpet. Ancient accounts exist showing that many soldiers sold their fragments in the Damascus bazaar. The famed beauty of the carpet has served as inspiration for subsequent carpets for more than one thousand years. The theme of the carpet was paradise. Paradise is a Persian word meaning walled park; one filled with the beauty of flowers, birds, water; the perfect eternal moment.

Marco Polo traveled through the Caucasus and Anatolia in 1271 and described the beauty of the Turkish and Caucasian carpets he saw there. We know that Europe imported oriental rugs because there are numerous depictions of oriental carpets in European paintings dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. These historical references show that carpets have been woven, valued, and traded since ancient times.