Solomon's - Farahan persian rugs

The look: Farahan rugshave been prized for their sturdy construction and their quiet, all over patterning. The most customary border is the "turtle" (a pair of split arabesques) on a ground of erosive green-produced by use of a copper salt. This causes the wool dyed with it to wear more rapidly than the portions dyed with other colors, which results in a sculptured surface effect.

The general feel for quality: The rugs from the Farahan district are world famous, excellent pieces. Sarouk is the most famous product of the region.

Shape and style: Farahan rugs have different size where majority lie in the mid size (4x6 to 8x10 feet) range.

Color: Most of them have a dark-blue ground showing an endless repeat of the herati design, in which a diamond lattice peeps through a tangle of rose blossoms and leaves. The coloring may be continuously varied within such a repeat, producing attractive changes in effect.

Pile texture: Soft wool, and thin, tight piles make up the Farahan texture.

Foundation: Warps are mostly cotton, wefts either cotton or wool.

Solomon's finest sources: The Farahan district is located in central Iran, among the cities of Arak, Qom (Kum) and Kashan and south of Tehran. The Farahan district has long history in Persian rug weaving. In the 19th century many British Companies opened factories to produce fine rugs just for export to Europe. In western countries Farahan rugs are also known as Mahal, which got its name from Mahallat, a city in Farahan district.