Behnam Rugs presents a general guide on buying rugs for lovers and connoisseurs. Our rugs come in 3 categories; Traditional, Transitional, and Modern. Traditionally, rugs are made of Wool, Silk, and Cotton. Presently, man-made silks such as viscose, art silk, and bamboo silk are also used in the making of handmade rugs. The rug world has its fascinating dos and don’ts. Not all rugs are created equal. Here is a crash course on handmade Persian and Oriental rugs.

Rugs fall into three main categories: Traditional, Transitional (Contemporary), and Modern rugs.

Traditional Rugs

Traditional rugs include both city rugs (ex. Tabriz rugs, Qum rugs) and tribal rugs (ex. Bakhtiari rugs, Kazak rugs). These rugs feature traditional materials (natural fibers like wool and silk) and patterns (such as floral and geometric designs). If you’re looking for a classic, old-school Persian rug, traditional rugs are your category.

Do you know the origin of most fine Persian rugs?

Origin of Persian Tribal Rugs:

Bakhtiari, Bakhshaish, Borchelu, Gabbeh Hamadan, Heriz, Hussainabad, Koliai, Kurd, Luri,Mahal, Malayer, Nahavand, Qashqai, Senneh, Shiraz, Sirjan, Tarom, Wiss, Zanjan.

Origin of Persian City Rugs:

Afshar, Ardabil, Baluch, Bidjar, Esfahan, Farahan, Joshaghan, Kashan, Kerman, Kashmar, Klardasht, Lavar, Mashad, Nain, Qum, Sarab, Saruk/ Sarough, Tabriz, Varamin. These are both ancient and modern day cities.

So what’s the difference between Persian and Oriental rugs? This refers to the origin. Persian rugs are from Iran. Traditionally, the term Oriental refers to rugs from China, although you often see it referring to rugs from India, Pakistan, and other countries, too. All Persian rugs are Oriental rugs, but not all Oriental rugs are Persian rugs. It’s a bit of a square and rectangle situation. However, many people use the terms interchangeably these days. You might hear someone referring to an Indian rug as a Persian rug, for example. This is because although the origin of the rug is from India, the origin of the pattern is Iranian (Persian).

Many fine rugs come from Iran (Persia), and these rugs can also be referred to as Iranian carpets, Persian carpets, and Iranian rugs. They are generally referred to by the city or tribe they originate from. For example, you may see a piece referred to as an Isfahan, Nain, Qum, Tabriz, or Mashad Persian rug. The design reflects where it is made. There are many different patterns and designs that have strong ties to a particular city. For example, the famous Tree of Life design originates from Isfahan.

In short, handmade rugs do not stop at Iran. You will also find beautiful oriental rugs from China and a variety of handmade masterpieces from Afghanistan, Morocco, Nepal, Tibet, Russia, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and many other countries.

Transitional (Contemporary) Rugs

Transitional rugs are a blend between modern styles and traditional styles. A modern piece might feature bold colors and patterns that you would never even imagine on a traditional rug. A transitional piece might feature those same bold colors but use a traditional pattern instead. We actually get so many questions about transitional rugs and what they are that we made a whole blog post about the topic. If neither this page nor the blog post answer your questions, please ask us! We’d love to answer any questions you might have.

Modern Rugs

Modern rugs are new, bold, and adhere to their own set of rules. Modern, also known as contemporary, rugs often feature fun and whimsical designs such as paint splatters, fashionable patterns, and modern floral designs. Another perk about modern rugs is that they are often sold in multiple sizes. Unlike traditional rugs, modern rugs are not always one of a kind pieces. Does this mean that their quality is lower? Not at all! Modern rugs can still be hand-knotted and made of excellent materials. They’re just a different type of special than traditional rugs are.

Guide for Buying Rugs

Traditional Rugs

Origin of Persian Tribal Rugs:

Origin of Persian City Rugs:

Transitional (Contemporary) Rugs

Modern Rugs