Guide to Oriental Rugs: The Hamedan

Hamedan, a small city in western Iran holds a spot as the oldest surviving cities in the entire world. Quite old. So old, in fact, that it is mentioned directly by name in the Bible, making the city effectively more than 2000 years old. This city is also the namesake of a type of hand woven rug. These Hamedan rugs are known for their predominantly geometric and floral designs, coming in a large variety of sizes and colors. Usually dyed with traditional vegetable dyes, these rugs are regarded as dependable and durable, standing the test of time with zeal and style. While these features are certainly nice, they aren't really much beyond what is expected from any oriental carpet. What makes a rug truly a Hamedan style rug, however, is whether is has a one-sided fringe, a trait seen in all true Hamedan rugs. The other side of the carpet is simply finished with a fabric stitch to ensure the integrity of the rug's weaving. This allows many Hamedan rugs to last well beyond the life expectancy of many other carpets. Their great durability and design sensibilities make Hamedan rugs stand out as furnishings that can truly stand up to the test of time.

Knots

As you may know, fine, hand woven rugs are made through the knotting of strings. While this is true, there is more than one way to go about tying these knots. Two common types of knot are the Persian and Turkish knots. Persian knots always open to one side, while Turkish knots open towards each other. Both of these types of knots are effective in making a fine carpet, though the Persian knot is by far the most common and popular method of knotting rugs. Another type of knot is the Jufti knot, which is also known as the "false knot". This knot only opens over every other string. While this type of knot halves both the workload and price involved in the creation of the rug, the end product is not nearly as fine as the results seen from the aforementioned Persian and Turkish knots. Since not all knots are created equal, those in the know factor in the density of knots in one unit squared of a rug, in order to ensure that rugs with poor quality and knot count are not passed off as fine rugs.