Posted on December 22, 2015 by Behnam Rugs

Are Persian Rugs Better Than Oriental Rugs?

Have you been told that a hand-knotted Persian rug is better than a hand-knotted Oriental rug? Or do you just have a feeling or belief that Persian rugs are better than Oriental rugs?

If so, you are correct as well as incorrect. We’ll explain below.

First, you must understand that all rugs known as Persian and Oriental rugs are actually Oriental rugs. The term Persian rug denotes a rug that is made in Iran (much of Iran was once known as Persia, hence the name Persian rug), while a hand-knotted Oriental rug is one that is made in India, China, Egypt, Afghanistan, or Pakistan.

The difference between them predominately is in the history of the designs of the rugs.

If you were to purchase a Tabriz Persian rug, for example, you’d be purchasing a rug with a design named for its city of origin: the city of Tabriz. A rug in the Tabriz design may not actually be made in Tabriz today, because as the popularity of any one design grew, the patterns started to be created elsewhere.

Other well-known Persian rug designs include Hamadan, Heriz, Gabbeh, and Gabbeh – all named for the cities where the particular design originated.

A Persian rug’s design pattern tends to be one of four traditional patterns: a medallion in the center of the rug, an all-over design, a one-sided layout, and a compartment layout. Their designs tend to have specific meaning for the city or region from which the design originated.

Persian rugs historically were of far better quality than Oriental rugs, which is why many people believe them to still be of higher quality.

An exhibition of Oriental rugs.

But the craftsmanship that goes into creating a hand-knotted Oriental rug is on par with the artistry needed to weave a Persian rug. There’s really not much difference between the two types of rug when it comes to their quality and any that there is would take an expert’s eye to discern.

The real reason a handmade rug is so valuable is that it is knotted by hand, a process that can take months and even years (depending on the rug’s size). A hand-knotted Persian Tabriz rug, for example, often has a very thick pile of up to 400 knots per square inch!

So unless you are a true expert in these rugs, we recommend that you purchase a rug with a design you love and leave the beggarly squabbling over whether a Persian rug is “better” than an Oriental rug to the experts. In other words, enjoy your tapestry work of art!

Visit Behnam Rugs’ Dallas showroom to see hand-knotted Oriental and Persian rugs up close and to learn more about the history and meanings of their designs. Give us a call at 972-733-4000.

By Vert (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons