Sanandaj Rug | © Rugman

Origin of Sanandaj Rugs 1

Senna, also spelled Senneh and known today as Sanandaj, is the capital city of the Kurdistan Province located in northwestern Iran. As a village in the early eighteenth century, Sanandaj was of strategic value for the army. People settled near the village and it grew into the size of a city.

Iran Maps

Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran | © Rugman

History of Sanandaj Rugs

Daj, which means “fortress” in Farsi, was appended to Senna (to become Sanandaj) because the village was so strongly guarded. Sanandaj is almost entirely populated by Kurds and is the largest city in the Kurdistan region. Sanandaj rugs are woven by Kurds who can trace their weaving tradition back for centuries. Early rugs and carpets woven in Sanandaj are called Senneh in the trade. Sanandaj rugs are known in the antique market from the early nineteenth century. They are the finest rugs made by Kurd weavers throughout the Kurdistan region and are recognized worldwide as fine Persian woven artwork.

The formats range from pillows to gallery-size carpets approximately sixteen by eight feet. Occasionally, cotton-foundation room-size carpets up to eighteen feet by twelve feet appear in the antique market. Cotton-foundation runners up to twenty-two feet in length are also found in the trade. Sanandaj horse covers are made in pile and flatwoven styles. They are famous and in demand by collectors in the antique market.

After World War II, Sanandajs tend to be more commercial, with very good quality weaves and a higher pile. Also, weavers began to incorporate other designs, coloration, and sizes into weavings that were marketed as Sanandaj rugs and carpets.

Sanandaj Rug

Sanandaj Rug Infobox | © WikiRug

Characteristics of Sanandaj Rugs

  • Material and Knots

The rugs have a cotton or silk foundation and a very short wool pile. The Turkish (symmetric) knot is always employed. Sanandaj kilims are made with high-quality silk, cotton, or wool warps; these kilims are highly esteemed by collectors and hold an important place in the antique market. The silk warp for both the pile and flatwoven rugs is usually divided into several color groups, called haftrang (seven-color threads), which form separated alternating color arrangements.

Sanandaj rugs are generally woven from very good to very fine in grade quality.

  • Color

Sanandaj pile and kilim rugs are usually woven with reds, dark blue, ivory, gold, or camel for the field. These colors are interchangeable for the border. In addition, shades of blue, brown, green, gray, cinnamon, and black are used for the motifs, minor borders, design outlines, and, rarely, for the background.

  • Design and Pattern

Sanandaj pile rug designs are semigeometric with allover, medallion, or Mihrab (prayer arch) styles. The rugs are traditional, using Boteh (paisley), the Gul (flower) known as Hasht gul (eight-flower bouquet), Herati (fish), Minakhani (rosette-linked trellis), Shrub, and medallion with an Open Field. Herati motifs are commonly rendered in the field.

Sanandaj flatwoven mum rugs are finely made and have either an allover or medallion style. Many designs used in the pile rugs also appear in the kilims, with the addition of the Mihrab (prayer arch) and Moharamat (stripes) styles. At times, the Moharamat design is woven above the prayer arch.

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  1. Abraham Levi Moheban. 2015. The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving. NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.