The most expensive rugs you're likely to see today are antique Persian rugs. Very few have remained in Iran as Europeans have bought most of these pieces. It's rare to find one for sale but you can still admire their beauty in museums around the world.

One of the most famous Persian rugs was the 'Spring Carpet of Chosroes', found in the palace of Chosroes II at Ctesiphon when his Persian army was defeated by the Byzantine Emperor Heraklius.

According to legend, when the Persian King Chosroes I defeated the Romans in the conquest of southern Arabia this rug was woven to commemorate the event. The rug was described as weighing several tons and measuring several hundred feet in length and width.

It had pure gold and silver threads and was inlaid with precious gems, rubies, diamonds, and pearls.

The design was interlaced with paths along which, it is said, the king used to stroll along to admire the scenes.

When the Arabs conquered Persia, this rug was so big that they had to rip it into pieces in order to get at the precious jewels, some of which still exist today in museums around the world.

Except for the 2500-year-old Pazyryk Rug and a few other fragments found in Asia, almost all antique rugs that still exist are from the Safavid dynasty.

In 1499, the Safavids began their conquest of Iran which lasted from 1501-1722..

This period was the golden age of Persian art, and carpet weaving was perhaps the greatest of the art forms. The Safavid rulers established several royal factories in Persia for the manufacture of various types of woven materials. The major ones in central Iran were in Kashan, Kerman, Isfahan, Josheghan, and Tabriz in the Northwest, and Yazd, Shiraz, Herat and Sabzewar in the Northeast.

The setting up of royal factories meant that significant quantities of beautiful rugs designed by some of the leading artists of the day were produced under Imperial patronage.

The government of Iran in this era would seize and destroy low quality carpets to keep the integrity of the art. By the 16th century, carpets were being woven in Iran on commission for the European nobility.

The rugs of Safavid Persia were divided into several categories, based on motifs, as well as historical or technical reasons. The principal categories are: medallion, vase, garden, hunting, figure, and compartment. There are also prayer rugs, but they did not form as important a part of Persian weaving as they do of Turkish.

In 1722 Afghanistan invaded Iran and brought the precious rug industry to its knees. The art was almost lost but when the Persians regained control of their country, the art of weaving was born again.

To see some exceptional examples of antique rugs, click on the images below.