TEHRAN – Many Iranian cities, towns and villages enjoy global reputation for the intricate designs, lavish colors, and peerless craftsmanship of their ingenious handwoven rugs.

Ample evidence suggests the history of carpet weaving in the southern Fars province is very long and its exact date is quite ambiguous. Historians point to the presence of carpets in Cyrus’ tomb during Alexander’s invasion of Iran.

The eighth-century AH was the peak of Fars carpet weaving. The fame of the Fars carpet in this period was so great that Ghazan Khan asked local artists to weave Fars carpets for his palace. In the ninth and tenth centuries AH, with the presence of more Qashqai, Khamseh tribes, and other tribes in this province, carpet weaving flourished in this region. This art continued until the present and became one of the main features of this region.

Moreover, the nomadic lifestyle has a direct impact on the use of the elements of nature. People in this area-created beauty and this beauty emerged to the Fars carpets gradually.

In addition to the numerous varieties of designs and styles in these types of rugs and carpets, there are commonalities, such as the existence of geometric designs or the use of cheerful colors that are inspired by this region. The most important common denominator among all types of Fars handicrafts is the loose texture of the knots and their lightweight, and of course, the dominance of geometric designs can be seen at first glance.

Due to the high volume of Fars carpets woven by nomadic women in this region, the loom carpet used for it is different. For example, unlike many areas, the loom carpet in this area is mostly on the ground and horizontal so that it can be easily moved during migration.

Fars carpets usually have a very special design and are woven in pairs or with a rug. The first carpet is called the “order” carpet, and the carpet or rug is woven with the ordered rug with the help of its design or mentally and inspired by the order carpet design.

Traditional motifs or patterns are often woven mentally and have a geometrical structure. The most important feature of this type of Fars carpet is their symmetry of weaving. Fars Carpets are woven symmetrically with traditional motifs from their horizontal or vertical halves.

For weaving Fars carpets and rugs, according to the UN cultural body, wool for the carpets is shorn by local men in spring or autumn. The men then constructed the carpet looms – a horizontal frame placed on the ground – while the women converted the wool into yarn on spinning wheels. The colors used are mainly natural: reds, blues, browns, and whites produced from dyestuffs including madder, indigo, lettuce leaf, walnut skin, cherry stem, and pomegranate skin.

The women are responsible for the design, color selection, and weaving, and bring scenes of their nomadic lives to the carpet. They weave without any cartoon (design) – no weaver can weave two carpets of the same design.

A colored yarn was tied to the wool web to create the carpet. To finish, the sides are sewn, extra wool is burned away to make the designs vivid, and the carpet is given a final cleaning.

All these skills are transferred orally and by example. Mothers train their daughters to use the materials, tools, and skills, while fathers train their sons in shearing wool and making looms.

The ancient region of Fars, also spelled Pars, or Persis was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (550–330 BC), which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital at Pasargadae. Darius I the Great moved the capital to nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th-century BC.

AFM