Origin of Goravan Rugs

Goravan Rugs are hand-woven Persian carpets made in Goravan, a small village in Northwestern Iran, north of the Iranian city of Heriz and east of the fabled rug-manufacturing center of Tabriz. This region of Iran is acclaimed for producing high quality rugs for so many centuries. The rugs of Goravan, bear an incredible resemblance to the rugs of Heriz. Often, even an expert cannot tell the difference. They are almost identical in design, colors, quality of materials used, and quality of the weave.

However, Heriz has a better reputation in Iran’s rug industry. The carpets manufactured here today, weren’t initially made for retail, but an old custom passed down from generation to generation. The carpets gave the nomadic homes warmth in the extremely harsh winters along with enchantment and beauty in an otherwise dull and dreary room. Unlike the western world, where bright colors are undesired, these simple tribal people love bright vibrant colors in their rugs to enhance their homes.

History of Goravan Rugs

This ancient region of Iran is very renowned for rug weaving. It has a rich history that dates back a long time. Here, in these rugged and mountainous conditions, much like many other parts of Iran, almost all the men and women have the talent and skill to weave high quality carpets by hand, with no use of modern technology whatsoever.

In some cases, rug weaving is the family’s main source of income. They trade the rugs in nearby cities with local merchants for staples and necessities of the home. A few regions and towns that are included in this Turkish region of Iran are Goravan, Heriz, Ardabil, Bakhshaish, Gharadjeh, Mehriban, Sarab and Shahsavan.

Their weaving style originates partly from Mongols who invaded Iran in the 13th century, and settled the northwest.

This historic region of Iran and some parts of Turkey and Uzbekistan have really been significant in the forming of the present day carpet industry. Carpet weaving has long been a custom of theirs and they continue to weave them every day.

Characteristics of Goravan Rugs

• Material and Knots

Weavers of these regions usually use their own symmetrical Turkish double knotting style, which tends to be dense and tightly packed down. The asymmetrical Persian knot can also be seen in cities such as Ardabil. The pile of these rugs is thick lustrous wool, handspun from local sheep. Cotton is the material of choice for the foundation because it is very strong. However, goat hair can also be seen in some Turkish tribal carpets. In a few regions such as Ardabil, silk is blended in with the wool pile to produce a gorgeous rug.

• Color

Natural vegetable and root dyes are mainly used for the coloring of the rugs. These rugs are generally very sturdy and hardwearing and they still use the brilliant weaving techniques that they used thousands of years ago.