Ilam carpets; culture in a carpet

Ilam carpets; culture in a carpet

Rug knotting is a valuable art in Iran that has a huge background. Among Persian carpets, Ilam carpets are famous for their quality. Ilam is a city in western Iran, near the border with Iraq. Because of its geographical location, nomads from Shiraz and Chaharmahal Bakhtiari immigrated to Ilam, so Gashgai patterns became popular among knotters in this area.

The population of Ilam is mainly Lori tribe which is the largest tribe in Iran ,whose additional occupation is handicrafts. Carpets are one of the most famous handicrafts because of their quality and distinctive designs. Some of their patterns are animal figures or flowers in stylized geometric shapes. Others are individual motifs that represent a significant culture. Medallions, Boté, figured patterns, floral patterns, etc., are some of the designs that are common in the Ilam carpets.

Ilam carpets are usually wool on wool, wool on cotton, and sometimes silk. Knitters in this area prefer to use symmetrical knots, and there is no limit to the size of Ilam rugs. The process of dyeing raw materials for Ilam carpets is by hand with natural colors. Ilam carpets are mostly in sharp colors, particularly red, light and dark blue, orange and green. The presence of black as a color that makes the patterns bold is a technique used by knotters to make Ilam rugs even more beautiful.