Veramin and Arak carpets, two important and beautiful carpets

Veramin and Arak carpets, two important and beautiful carpets

In north central Iran, near the capital, are two cities famous for their carpets-Veramin and Arak. The carpets at these two centers are of high quality in both material and technique. The main occupation of people in these two cities is farming, but families tie carpets in their spare time, especially in winter, to have a higher income.

In most Veramin rugs the pattern composed of flowers arranged in a round shape that are repeated throughout the surface of the rug. Sometimes these designs are larger in the center and smaller on the frame, but the presence of a medallion is rare in Veramin rugs. One of the main designs of Veramin carpets is“Mina Khani.” This design which is also registered in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention is famous among traders as the most popular motif in the market.

Mina Khani is a design of a small flower with petals surrounded by four small white flowers representing narcissus flowers. These flowers are combined together with flowing lines that are regarded as branches. This design is usually on a blue field to give more emphasis to the flowers. The colors used in Veramin carpets are dark and light blue as the main color, red, orange, green and brown.

Arak carpets are named after the villages or areas where they were woven. One of the most famous Arak carpets is the Sarugh carpet. Sarugh is a village located in the northern city of Arak, and the carpets from this place are famous throughout Europe and America. The reason for this fame , is the high quality of these carpets with fine knots and traditional patterns but at the same time suitable for modern environments.

In 1883, The Zigler Company began importing some of the Persian carpets from Iran to Europe. This company opened a branch in Arak and asked for some customizations to the colors and patterns of Sarugh carpets to be more adaptable to the taste of the European market. Later other companies also modified some carpets and imported to America. Since then, the name
Sarugh Amarican
has remained on some of the Sarugh carpets that are with lighter colors, particularly light red. To achieve this color shade, the colored wools were washed with lactic acid.

Both Veramin and Arak carpets are made of fine wool. Because of the geographical location of these two areas, knotters have many natural colors available with which to dye wool. The variety of plant and mineral colors in the materials gives the carpet a natural look that makes it beautiful in both traditional and modern settings.