Bidjar Carpets

The iron rug of Persia, Bidjar carpets are very heavy and durable rugs usually woven by the Afshar weavers of Bidjar in Kurdistan. Herati motif is the most commonly used one in medallions as well as allover patterns. Other patterns can be geometric and curvilinear or a combination of the two. Navy, cherry red, brown, light blue, pink, yellow, ocher, orange, beige and ivory happen to be the most prevalent colors.

Very high quality wool is used for tying the knots. Initially, even the base was woolen. Symmetrical Turkish knot is used. The process of weaving Bidjar rugs involves extensive hammering of the knots against the wefts thus making the carpet very tightly woven. More over the pile are longer than in the other types. These two things make the carpets very tight and heavy.

Due to hammering the wrap and wefts are so stressed that if the carpet is folded, the foundation threads may break. The Bidjar rugs dare therefore never folded and if need be, only rolled. They are never woven in a workshop but in homes.