Traditional carpet weaving skills in Kashan

In Kashan, a city that has long been the center of quality rugs, nearly one in three people are employed in the manufacture of rugs, and of these more than two-thirds are women.

The carpet-making process begins with a design, drawn from a set of established styles, with patterns of flowers, leaves, branches, animals, and scenes inspired by history. The loom employed is called dar; the warp and weft threads are made of cotton or silk. The rug is made by tying strands of wool or silk on the warp using a technique called farsi stitch; the knots are held in place by a weft thread, the whole being compacted with a comb. The Farsi style of weaving (also called asymmetric knot) is practiced in Kashan with exceptional delicacy, evidenced by the underside of the rug with its fine and regular knots.

Kashan’s rugs owe their colors to the use of natural dyes, including madder, walnut stain, pomegranate skin, and fig leaf. The traditional skills of Carpet weaving in Kashan are passed on to girls by learning from their mothers and grandmothers. It is also by learning that men acquire the techniques of drawing, dyeing, shearing sheep, and making trades and tools.