Thousands Visited Rug Exhibition in Tehran - Persian Journal Latest Iran news & Iranian Newspaper

Thousands Visited Rug Exhibition in Tehran - Persian Journal Latest Iran news & Iranian Newspaper: "Culture Jan 8th, 2006 - 19:49:25
Page One > Culture

Thousands Visited Rug Exhibition in Tehran
Jan 8, 2006
More than 15,000 individuals visited the exhibition of invaluable Persian carpets which was held in Saad Abad Palace Complex from 28th of December to 7th of January.

"Because of the cultural significance of the museums, they are best places for holding such exhibitions. We exhibited some invaluable and unique carpets woven by master Iranian artists in Saad Abad Complex. Once there used to be even some carpet workshops in this complex which showed how rugs are woven. We should teach today's generation to continue the art of their ancestors," said Mohammad Abdolalipour, manager of Saad Abad historical-cultural complex.

According to Abdolalipour, exclusion of carpet exhibitions from the programs of museums and cultural centers has resulted in considering them as means of trade rather than looking at carpets as beautiful pieces of art, while both aspects should be taken into account. Thus, we must do our best to bring carpets into the museums and make people look at them as pieces of art rather than pure financial assets.

The manager of Saad Abad complex also expressed his satisfaction of the attendance of a more specialized team during this exhibition compared to last year's exhibition, and expressed hope for an even more specialized one for next year.




Persian carpets are the most exquisite form of art, inherited from generation to generation in Iran. Persian carpets enjoy a special reputation in the world. Perhaps the most important time in the history of Persian carpets came when the Safavid kings were ruling over Persia (1499-1722 AD). Indeed, the first concrete proofs of this craft dates back to this period. During the reign of Shah Abbas, the Safavid king (1571-1629), commerce and crafts prospered in Persia. Shah Abbas encouraged contacts and trades with Europe and transformed his new capital city which was Isfahan back then, into one of the most glorious cities of Persia. He also created a court workshop for carpets where skilled designers and craftsmen set to work to create splendid specimens.

Most of these carpets were made of silk, with gold and silver threads adding even more embellishments.

Today, approximately 1500 examples of unique Persian carpets are preserved in various museums and in private collections worldwide."