Persian Carpet Styles

Most Persian rugs have a central medallion. These medallions are round or oval, mostly symbolizing the sun. Rugs with a central medallion usually come with four corners in the main field with a quarter design of a medallion.

An all-over Persian carpet design usually consists of a specific repeated pattern. These patterns may be geometrical or curvilinear plant branch patterns. It doesn't have any medallions, but repetitive motifs near each other with a specific regularity all over the rug field, just like fabric patterns.

Some Persian carpets have a prayer design structure. As most Persian people are Muslim, they use a unique rug for praying. These Persian rugs are symmetrical and have an arch at the top of the main field where Muslims put their hands and heads while praying. Under the arc shape, a flower vase, tree motifs, or sometimes geometric motifs are placed.

While many Persian rugs (especially those woven in big cities such as Isfahan and Tabriz) have a central medallion, a triple medallion is another general design of Persian carpets. This structure is most common in Persian rustic and tribal rugs. Triple medallions have a diamond shape or are sometimes polygonal. Some rugs even can have more than three repeated medallions, too.

The Kheshti design is a regular group of square or lozenge frames near each other that are filled with a tree or floral motifs. This general Persian rug design is prevalent among the Bakhtiari tribes, especially those living in Iran's "Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari" province. They contain diverse patterns and motifs of nature and animals.

Gardens were always an integral part of Persian architecture. The unique structure of Persian gardens is called the "four gardens." This design consists of a central water pool and four gardens on each side of the pool. Persian four garden rugs are rare but unique and represent the traditional garden structure of Persian architecture. Some Persian rugs show abstract or realistic gardens too.

One of the unique common designs of Persian carpets is the bottom view of a Persian dome. This design, called "Gonbadi," has the bottom structure of a typical dome and is found in almost all kinds of Islamic architecture, especially during the Safavid dynasty. If you've visited Iran, you've undoubtedly seen these majestic domes, which are designed with tiles in delicate patterns. The rug design consists of geometric shapes and a central medallion filled with similar details to Persian domes, mostly common in traditional Persian town rugs like Tabriz rugs.

Moharamat design is a structure of horizontal, vertical or diagonal striped lines. These lines make equal or unequal spaces filled with various Persian rug motifs and patterns, such as Boteh or abstract forms of flowers. Moharamat design is not only used in Persian town and rustic cut pile rugs, but is common in Persian kilim rugs of Bakhtiari and Kurdish tribes and Persian gabbeh rugs of Qashqai tribes too.

Most Persian rugs (whether town or rustic and tribal rugs) have trees, gardens, and jungle patterns. They are filled with various trees, animals, and birds among them. One of the most remarkable Persian carpet designs is called the "tree of life." This design features a giant tree full of beautiful leaves and colorful blossoms or fruits protected by birds or animals. The whole tree is usually in a simple background or placed in a frame or under an arch-like Mihrabi or prayer rug structure. According to ancient Persian religion and culture (Zoroastrian beliefs), the universe was created by the tree of life!

These motifs have a long history, symbolizing the Lotus flower and changing in form during the time. The "Shah Abbasi flowers," also known as Palmette or arabesque flowers, were common during the Safavid Empire in Persian land and are still today one of The most common motifs of Persian rugs. The whole structure of these flowers contains a central core and usually eight (or more) petals around it.

Islimi (which came from Islamic art) is a delicate and soft design of lanceolate leaves placed in a curvilinear spiral line. They are also known as arabesque designs, but are specialized in Persian art and culture, mainly during the Safavid era. Islimi motifs and spirals are usually merged with Shah Abbasi or Palmette flowers and branches.

Hunting was an ancient entertainment in Persian culture for kings and royal families. This tradition became common during the Safavid dynasty, inspiring Persian rug designs. Persian carpets with this motif represent horse riders hunting wild animals such as lions, tigers, or gazelles. This pattern is more prevalent in traditional town rugs such as "Isfahan rugs and Kashan rugs".

This is one of the mysterious though popular and common motifs in not only Persian carpets and rug designs, but also in most of the handicraft arts of Persia. The Boteh, also known as Paisley, is a tear-shaped motif symbolizing the cypress tree. As cypress is sacred to ancient Persian people (Zoroastrians), the Boteh motif has been present in the long history of Persian art. It is also used in the designs of many Persian carpet styles and types like "Kerman rugs" and "Senneh rugs", either individually or near other motifs.

The weeping willow tree is a significant motif in Persian art and culture. It symbolized pure love and is always present in Persian love stories of separated and sad lovers. It is also one of the native trees of Persia (Iran). The importance of this tree has affected Persian carpets too. Many Persian rugs of different types and styles have weeping willow motifs in different shapes and usually come near cypress trees. This motif is prevalent in "Persian Bakhtiari Kheshti rugs, Sabzevar rugs, and Kurdish rugs".

To recognize a Persian rug with Herati or Mahi patterns, you should first know the story and strucrue behind this original Persian motif. Most Persian Herati rugs include repeated motifs. This motif, also called Mahi (meaning fish in Persian), represented two golden fish swimming in opposite directions but against each other. It also symbolized the Persian traditional water pools, called "Houz," filled with many golden fishes. The motifs include a central flower with two curvy leaves around it, spread from a lozenge frame on two sides of the flower. The Herati or Mahi pattern "is most common in "Bijar rugs, Senneh rugs, and Birjand rugs.

Cypress has been a spiritual tree in Persian beliefs and cultures for centuries. In Zoroastrianism, the cypress symbolizes eternal life and infinity. The Iranian people have admired the cypress as a glorious tree throughout history because it's always green. They paint it in their miniature Persian paintings or on the tiles of their mosques and palaces. The Cypress motif comes in various shapes and forms in different styles and types of Persian carpets; in a detailed medallion "Tabriz rug" or allover " Sabzvarand Bijar rug", in Persian "Kermanand Kashan prayer rugs", or even in " Qashqai tribal rugs".

The word millefleur comes from French and means "thousands of flowers." It describes patterns filled with plants and flowers that are not connected. This pattern is also common in Persian rugs, especially in "Kerman rugs", rarely in "Tabriz rugs" and "Qashqai rugs". The Persian millefleur rug design contains trees full of blossoms near each other or repeated separate motifs of plants and shrubs. Sometimes this pattern includes birds and animals among the flowers, like some of the beautiful designs of Persian "Isfahan rugs".

This motif is dedicated to the Turkmen tribes' handwoven carpets and rugs. It is also called " Mari Gul" or "Kushal Davani," which means camel footprint. The Turkmen Gul is the most common motif among Persian Turkmen tribes, like the Tekke tribe. This motif is usually repeated all over the rug's field, with equal spaces and primarily red color.

The Minakhani pattern includes a square with four flowers on four sides of the square that repeats all over the rug's field in regular horizontal and vertical rows. Inside square frames, there are usually floral designs and sometimes bird and animal designs. This pattern is dedicated to Varamin rugs, one of the important regions of the Persian carpet industry.