| Oriental rugs are like gold. By making them part of | | | | Persian, Southern Persian, Southwestern Persian, and |
| your home you in effect make your home part of | | | | Western Persian. Persian rugs can also be dived |
| long rich cultural traditions. Authentic Oriental rugs are | | | | according to the type of peoples or tribes the rugs |
| hand made using looms according to time honored | | | | were made by. Rugs made by nomadic tribes would |
| craft traditions in Central Asia and Middle East. First | | | | be smaller since they use smaller more portable |
| Oriental rugs were made as long ago as 3000 BC. | | | | looms. They also tend have bolder colors. Floor rugs |
| This is made with silk and wool fibers. High quality | | | | made in cities or villages tend to be larger. In Persia |
| floor rugs will have higher knot density (knots for | | | | rug making became an industry shortly after first |
| square inch) than low quality ones. A very good | | | | ones were made and people were employed by |
| quality area rug will have about five hundred to | | | | workshops for the making rugs especially for selling. |
| thousand knots per square inch. | | | | Most floor rugs made in cities comes from such |
| There are three main traditions or styles in Oriental | | | | ancient workshops. |
| rug making. They are Caucasian, Persian, and Turkish. | | | | Turkey was known as Anatolia and as such these |
| Caucasian Oriental rugs have bright geometric | | | | Oriental rugs are commonly called Anatolian rugs. |
| patterns and come from the countries in the | | | | They are divided into three subcategories Central, |
| Caucasian mountains. New rugs from this region are | | | | Eastern, and Western. |
| rare these days because the tradition has almost died | | | | Good quality Oriental rugs will last a long time. In fact |
| away in the region. Best rugs from this region were | | | | it will last for several generations if properly cared for. |
| made in late 19th century. There are several sub | | | | However avoid putting such area rugs in places |
| types of Caucasian rugs categorized according to | | | | where the foot traffic is heavy. Especially avoid |
| their place of origin. They are Baku, Dagestan, | | | | places where they will be trodden on by dirty shoes. |
| Gendje, Karabagh, Kazak, Shirvan, and Talish, rugs. | | | | Remember in the countries where they make these |
| Persia is course present day Iran. Persian Oriental | | | | rugs people used to take off their shoes when |
| floor rugs tend to have curved lines. They too are | | | | entering a house. |
| subdivided according to areas they come from. Main | | | | They are easily cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. |
| ones are Central Persian, Eastern Persian, Northwest | | | | However they may need to be beaten once in while. |