Local Geography and History of the Bakhtiari Rug and Carpet Region

Located in the southwest of Isfahan, Bakhtiari is in the Zagros Mountains.  This provides an inspirational environment for the making and designing of rugs and carpets.  The word Bakhtiari is composed to two small words; Bakht (luck) and yar (companion).  This originates from when the Iranians first migrated into this region; considering themselves lucky to find these vast lands, they called their region Batch-yar.

The settlers did what was most common in these days and created hand woven oriental rugs and carpets to offer and distribute to the world market that was continually growing.  The majority of Bakhtiari rugs are hand knotted in smaller surrounding settlements such as Saman, Chehel Shotor and Shalamzar.

Many of the scenes originate back to the 18^th century, when the Khans started to make many great palaces and mansions.  Surrounding these large buildings in the Chahar Mahal valley where courtyards and gardens that were considered a symbol of status and pride.  Carrying this symbol, these beautiful gardens gave the weavers an idea that became a significant theme in the history of rug manufacturing.

Many of the patterns and scenes that date back to the 18^th century are still an important base for all the hand made Bakhtiari rugs in these regions.  As well as the themes that stayed fairly constant over the years, the knotting styles are still continuing to show in the majority of floor coverings that are exported from Iran.

Hand knotted with hand-spun wool, the Bakhtiari oriental rugs and carpets are made from only quality materials that come directly from the weavers.  The wool from local sheep is spun and colored with dies extracted from local sources, mainly flora.  This wool contributes to the pile of the Persian carpet, and cotton is used for a foundation, making it tough and durable.