One carpet vendor told me that carpet-making originated in what is now Iran and spread from there.
While regional designs may differ greatly, from the more geometrical Uzbek and Azeri designs, to the more ‘normal’ looking Turkmen or Iranian carpets, the techniques and materials used were all invented in what is now Iran. I must’ve looked at hundreds of carpets all over Central Asia, and although budget only allowed for the purchase of a couple of them, believe me when I say I wanted them all. Viewing carpets at a shop is something like watching gorgeous women of different nationalities parade in front of you in bikinis. There is so much to admire about the skill and craftmanship that goes into making these works of art, but they also elicit a very visceral feeling of gratification, like the patterns and colors are designed specifically to release endorphins at the instinctual level, bypassing any cognitive processes. Anyway, here are some photos of carpets I looked at.
While regional designs may differ greatly, from the more geometrical Uzbek and Azeri designs, to the more ‘normal’ looking Turkmen or Iranian carpets, the techniques and materials used were all invented in what is now Iran. I must’ve looked at hundreds of carpets all over Central Asia, and although budget only allowed for the purchase of a couple of them, believe me when I say I wanted them all. Viewing carpets at a shop is something like watching gorgeous women of different nationalities parade in front of you in bikinis. There is so much to admire about the skill and craftmanship that goes into making these works of art, but they also elicit a very visceral feeling of gratification, like the patterns and colors are designed specifically to release endorphins at the instinctual level, bypassing any cognitive processes. Anyway, here are some photos of carpets I looked at.
