 | bidjar Rugs
Perhaps the most durable rug on earth, known to auctioneers as 'the carpet of steel', the unique Bidjar does more than look attractive. These indestructible rugs are woven by tough Kurdish people in the north-western town of Bidjar. Rich jewel tones in simple geometry, thick pile, structural strength and enormous weight mark the Bidjar. They are often imitated but never duplicated, because no other region uses the wet-loom technique adopted by the weavers of this city. This means constantly keeping wet the wool, warp, and weft during the long process of weaving, and beating down rows of weft with a comb at frequent intervals. The materials therefore tighten and shrink slightly when the rug is dried, making the piece extremely dense and strong. The Bidjars can have an all-over field, but more often a series of expanding hexagonal diamond medallions is seen. The friendly, peaceful people of Bidjar have earned one of the richest reputations in all of Asia for their highly prized carpets. Bidjars not only go well with modern or traditional interiors, but because of their incredible durability, these rugs are ideal for high-traffic areas such as a main entrances, corridors or kitchens.
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History & Construction of Rugs
Kurdish carpets are woven throughout western Iran, in and around the rugged mountains of Kurdistan. The resilient Kurds descend from the ancient nomads that roamed the area thousands of years ago. They live a semi-nomadic life, either in villages or in tribes away from the cities where they can still practise their traditions and live as their ancestors did. Some Kurdish tribes include the Herki, Senjabi, Gurani, Jaffid, and Kalhors. Major rug-producing centers include Senneh, Bidjar, and the district of Khamseh. Other Kurdish villages and districts that produce rugs are Borchelu, Goltogh, Khoi, Koliai, Lylyan, Mousel, Nanadj, Songhore, Touserkan, and Zagheh. There are many grades of hand-made rugs produced in this vast province, and almost every color can be seen in these rugs. All have a pile of wool, and the foundations are of cotton, or more rarely, wool or goat hair. The weaving quality in Kurdish rugs varies from loose to dense knotting and the Persian asymmetrical knot is used more frequently than the Turkish symmetrical knot. The colors are mainly from natural dyes, and bright lively colors are used to bring life to their simple homes. The Kurds are a very peaceful, gentle people who prefer their simple nomadic lives to the complexities and frustrations of the modern world. Many other major rug-producing centers of Iran, such as Hamadan, Lorestan, or even Arak, show traces of Kurdish influence.
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