Sarouk Persian Area Rugs

Iron Rug of Persia

​​​​​Sarouk area rugs are among the traditional Persian rugs that have many lovers in Europe and North America. Sarouk rugs admired in the Western world due to the appeal of their colors and softness and high quality of the wool. Sarouk hand knotted rugs are elaborate and detailed with vibrant colors. They can make a very nice decorating piece in your floor whether it is in a dining room, living room, or entrance. They come with both medallion and all over design patterns and are easy to match with traditional or neutral environment.

A very beautiful rug and perhaps a favorite of many Persian rug enthusiasts, the Sarouk incorporates intricate detail, rich colors, durability, and an ancient historic background, to produce a floor piece that will get infinite attention and admiration from spectators. Every Sarouk rug is a unique and priceless piece of art that can only increase in value as with age. Sarouk is a large village, which sits in the neighborhood of Arak in west-central Iran. It is a rug-producing guru in the region. Only the rugs that can reach the exellence of the Sarouk reputation, are given the name Sarouk in the market. Other ones that aren't as fine would be called something else. The fact that the wool used in these rugs is so durable and lustrous, along with the very fine and careful knotting, could probably be the main reason that these rugs all last such a long time. 

History of Sarouk Rugs 

A very important rug-producing district in Iran, Arak (formerly known as Sultanabad) and its surrounding area, is located in the Central Northwestern part of Iran, east of the province of Hamedan, south of the province of Zanjan, and north of the province of Lorestan. Arak, along with its many neighboring villages, produces countless quantities of handmade Persian rugs every year. The finished carpets are usually marketed in the town itself. Some major areas around Arak are known as the Mahallat, Ferahan, and Lylyan. Some neighboring towns and villages are: Malayer, Meshkabad, Mirabad, Seraband, Sarouk, Jozan, along with many other small Kurdish villages and settlements. There has been strong Kurdish influences on these people's style of weaving, and some traces of Turkish ancestry can also be seen. Arak is where The Manchester Firm of Ziegler's opened an office in 1883. Originally an importer of English goods, the firm soon realized the financial advantages of starting a carpet factory in this region to produce rugs to be marketed in Europe and the USA. It has been estimated that by the turn of the century, Ziegler controlled over 2500 looms at work in this district. The Mahallat produces a very high quality rug known as Mahal, and Sarouk is also famous for producing exquisite pieces. Lylyans tend to look more tribal as do many rugs made in these surrounding villages. Ferahans are very recognized world over as a result of their high quality weave and rich history, and Serabands are very similar to Ferahans. Mirabad also produces a very high quality carpet, usually with an overall design, known as the Mir. All the rugs of this area are completely unique and one of a kind, but a striking resemblance can be seen within some of them. This entire area is very important and precious to the Persian rug community, and deserves the respect that it gets. 

Construction of Sarouk Rugs 

There are many different grades of rugs made in this region, ranging from medium to fine. All rugs however, are 100% handmade and authentic. The material used for the pile of the rugs is wool, with the colors being mainly vegetable dyes. The rugs are woven using asymmetrical Persian knots to tie each loop one by one. Although not uncommon in older or antique pieces, silk pile or silk foundation is rarely if ever seen here. There might be some cases where the rug has a pile of silk and wool blend. Cotton or goat hair is used for the foundation (more so cotton) and the wool of the rugs is hand spun usually from the weaver's own sheep. The Sarouk is probably the most famous of all the rugs from this region and its quality is absolutely exceptional. The Mahal, Ferahan, Seraband, and Mir are also very high in quality, but that is not to say that the rugs from the other villages are inferior in quality. They as well are very durable and are capable of lasting an incredibly long period of time.

Sarouk rugs are soft and have a pleasant feel because of the quality of the wool and weave which is relatively softer than some other Persian rugs. Sarouk oriental area rugs are considered among the medium or higher with regard to the tightness of the weave and density of the knots. There is a significant degree of harmony in Sarouk rug designs mostly symmetrical and often with medallion. There are also Sarouk rugs with all over patterns and without a medallion.

The knots in Sarouk rugs are Persian knots and like most rugs in central Iran, knots are usually made by hand. In certain areas they might use a hock for making the knots, while the looms for Sarouk carpets are vertical. In the past Sarouk rugs were made by two thin wafts passing after each row of knots and apparently recently they are using a single thicker waft rather than two thin ones. The average density in the Sarouk rugs are about 40 raj per 6.5 centimeters and sometimes 50 raj or over might be woven. For a custom-made rugs, even finer weaves are made.

 In earlier Sarouk rugs there is a tribal tone which is more appreciated in the West. Among the rugs that are made in regions near Sarouk, is the famous Moshkabad rug which has a worldwide reputation for its older weaves. Moshkabad rugs although they have over medium weave are mostly appreciated for its color combinations and antique feel. Sarouk rugs from Farahan area is another subcategory of the Sarouk carpet that are extremely popular with North American consumers. Another subcategory of the rugs is a specific type of Sarouk that is weaved in a village name Mazlaghan near Sarouk. Sarouk Mazlaghan rugs have a very distinct character and identity that is easily recognized by experts; however they are often sold in the market by Sarouk name.

Materials of Sarouk Rugs

Most Sarouk rugs are made of cotton base and wool pile. The wool for Sarouk rugs are brought from Sabzvar, Brujerd, Bakhtiari, Hamedan and Kermanshah areas as well as from Moshk-Abad or Ibrahim-abad and are considered to be very high quality wool. Earlier Sarouk handmade carpets as far back as 1320 Persian calendar, were of three main types of Mahal, Moshk-Abad, and Sarouk all of which was known as Sarouk rugs.

Simplicity of the designs and limited variety of colors but delicate combination of them is one of the main characteristics of early Sarouk rugs, and the finest wool or kork used in the production gives them a very silky feel. Around 70 years ago when Sarouk rugs found its way to the European and American market, large size Sarouk rugs became very popular, which was not very common to be made until that time in Sarouk. Sarouk Persian rug weavers demonstrated their artistic ability by getting involved in weaving large size rugs which they had not tried until that time.

Dyeing and Colors in Sarouk Rugs

 It is believed that that the fame gained by the Sarouk rugs is owed to few colors that is used in these rugs. The doghi ronas color of Sarouk, or blush red, blue color from Farahan-Sarouk, and ronasi color from Moshk-abad are considered to be the reasons behind the fame of Sarouk rugs. In addition to the mentioned colors, green, beige, gold yellow, and hay color are among the colors used in Sarouk rugs. Generally, ronas, or madder roots, wine leaves, pomegranate peel, walnut outer shell are among the natural material used in dyeing the Sarouk persian rugs wool. The fine dyeing of the wool is also a significant factor beside the type of the dyes in Sarouk rugs

Size and Shape

 Sarouk rugs are made in a variety of sizes. Among the most common ones are 2x4, 3x5, 4x6, 6x9, 8x11, and 9x13. The most common shapes in Sarouk rugs are rectangular and square shapes. Like any other regions Sarouk rugs can be made in different shapes or sizes as well as a different quality of fineness if it is requested as custom make.

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