TEHRAN--Persian carpets and rugs are among the most beautiful in the world and a trip to Iran is incomplete without buying a Persian carpet for your home.

Here are a few tips to help you choose a Persian carpet or rug that is best suited to your home and more importantly your budget, www.iranvisitor.com reported.

Variety: Different regions of Iran have their own traditional and modern carpets on offer. Generally, carpets are named after the city, town or village that they were made in.

For instance, Persian rugs are further classified as Kerman, Kashan, Tabriz, Serapi, Heriz, Sultanabad and many more Persian towns and villages.

The carpets have a design that is distinct and draws inspiration from the flora and fauna of that area. 

Kilims or tribal rugs made by nomadic tribesmen have rectilinear or abstract geometrical designs and are another less expensive option that you could explore. Once you decide which type of carpet or rug appeals to you, narrowing down on a suitable option becomes easier.

Handmade versus machine made: This is a big factor in determining the price of a carpet. Needless to say, the handmade ones are more expensive. Take a look at the back of the carpet from the corner to determine its make; if the patterns of the knots are regular, then it is machine made while those of a handmade carpet will be a bit irregular.

The knot count: Gereh or the number of knots per square meter is an important factor in assigning a price tag to a Persian carpet. The rule of thumb is that the more knots per square meter, the finer the carpet. 

You may turn the carpet over and count the knots yourself. However, most prominent carpet stores have the count listed and typically this would be 10,000, 40,000, 90,000, 160,000 and 250,000 knots per square meter. If you are buying an antique carpet then do not take the gereh factor into account as antique carpets have other criteria that must also be considered.

Remember that Persian rugs are a piece of art: This will help you appreciate the time and effort that goes into designing each carpet and rug. Also, make sure that you like the look, feel and color of the carpet. Urge the shopkeeper to spread it out so that you can appreciate the design and layout before you take it home. More importantly, visualize how it would fit in to your lifestyle and décor back home.

Explore your options: Shop around before you make a decision. Visit different stores to check out designs, styles, sizes and more importantly prices. Recently, there has been a spurt of online buying options for rugs and carpets, but the touch and feel factor is important in such a purchase, so do not take the shorter route in this case.

Once you've made your purchase and are wondering how to take care of your latest buy, here are some tips on how you can keep that carpet or rug in good condition for years to come.

Use a rug pad beneath your carpet, particularly if it is an antique or expensive. This not only maintains alignment but also prevents wear and tear.

The use of furniture slides if you must keep furniture on your carpet is recommended to prevent depressions and damage from occurring.

Spread your carpet out in the sun. An annual airing of the carpet will get rid of any damage by moths and wet weather.

Regularly rotate your carpet or rug, inspect the underside for moth damage, vacuum it or give it a beating with a wooden paddle to get rid of dust.