Hamadan rugs

Where they come from

Hamadan is a city in the mountains of western Iran, surrounded by hundreds of weaving villages. Each village has its own designs and habits.

The finest rugs are often sold under the name of their village. Simpler pieces share the general name Hamadan, so the label describes a region more than a single style.

How to recognize one

Most Hamadan rugs are drawn in straight lines and angles. Common designs are a central medallion, the Herati pattern of a rosette inside a diamond with curving leaves, and rows of the paisley-like boteh.

The colors are strong: red, blue, ivory and brown grounds, with bright accents. Many older pieces use undyed camel-colored wool.

Most are small rugs and runners made for daily use. Room-size Hamadans exist, but they are less common.

Single-wefted

Most Hamadan rugs have a single weft thread between each row of knots. That gives the back a slightly uneven, grainy look and lets you see the weft between the knots.

It is one of the easiest ways to tell a Hamadan from a city rug, which usually has two wefts and a tighter, more even back.

How they are made

Weavers tie the symmetrical knot, also called the Turkish knot, usually without a full paper pattern. They work from memory or from an older rug.

The pile is thick wool of medium weight. Modern Hamadans have a cotton foundation, and older ones often have wool.

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