Kashan rugs, revered by royalty and discerning buyers, are characterized by a single medallion in the center and Persian floral motifs forming extremely dense patterns.

Kashan is an oasis town along the Kavir desert, in central Iran. It is one of the oldest cities in Iran, with archeological excavations in the Sialk hills indicating that this area was the home of pre-historic humans. As early as the 17th century Kashan had a well established silk area rug industry. A Kashan area rug is still woven in the time honored traditions of the old masters, utilizing the same basic designs. Coveting by kings, at one time it was commonplace to see a Kashan area rug hanging on palace walls all over the world. It is for this reason that it is also referred to as “the palace carpet”. Extremely dense Persian knots are used to weave a Kashan area rug, producing an exquisite object of art.

Almost every Kashan area rug is woven with a variation of the same basic pattern - a single medallion in the center, and Persian floral motifs including arabesques, flower stems, palmettos, rosettes, and blossom and leaf motifs forming extremely dense patterns. Most frequently shades of red, blue, beige, and ivory are found on the field of a Kashan area rug, with a variety of contrasting colors making up the design.

Heriz rugs, woven by Turkish inhabitants in the Province of Azerbaijan, are known for distinctive large, single, octagonal medallions complemented by flowers, twines, and vases.

Heriz, located in the Province of Azerbaijan, is a very important production center of Persian carpets. Hand woven by the Turkish inhabitants of Heriz, the creation of Persian carpets is their primary source of income and this time honored craft is passed down from generation to generation. The skilled artisans still use basically the same technique as that of the Mongols who invaded the region in the 13th century. Heriz Persian carpets are the most sought after of the tribal rugs. Antique Heriz Persian carpets called Serapi (woven before 1900) are extremely valuable and highly collectable. Most weavers use the Turkish double knot, while the KPSI (knots per square inch) will vary depending upon the quality of the carpet. Heriz Persian carpets from the town's workshops are of better quality than those from the remote mountain villages. The silk Persian carpets are exceptionally finely knotted and are both very rare and absolutely exquisite.

Newer Heriz Persian carpets most frequently feature a large, single, octagonal medallion complemented by flowers, twines, and vases. The background tends to be very densely decorated. Antique carpets will have different designs on quite a plain background in various shades of blue, turquoise, brown, and beige. Newer Heriz Persian carpets are very distinctive using a color palette of red, brown, and baby blue. The colors are created with vegetable and root dyes.

Mashad rugs feature elongated corners and the exclusive use of deep red for the background and dark blue for the medallion, corners, and the border.

The holy city of Mashad, capital city of the province of Khorasan in northeastern Iran, is famous for the shrine of the eighth Shiite Imam, Imam Reza. Mashad is a great weaving center for Persian carpets in addition to being a trade center for the Persian carpets of its neighboring villages and tribes. Most Mashad Persian carpets are woven in workshops in the city, although there are some that are created on home looms. They are woven with the asymmetrical the Persian knot, although the symmetrical Turkish knot is found on occasion.

Mashad Persian carpets are known for their curvilinear designs. The most frequently used is the Shah Abbas design - a large center medallion and very unique elongated corners. The Shah Abbas design on Mashad Persian carpets almost always has a dark red background and uses dark blue for the medallion, corners, and border. The Herati and Boteh designs are also commonly used on Mashad Persian carpets, usually in an all-over repeating or an endless repeat. You may find Mashad Persian carpets with the Herati motif marketed under the name Khorasan, making them quite difficult to recognize as Mashad by inexperienced buyers. There are a few unique characteristics of Mashad Persian carpets. One is their elongated corners. The other is the exclusive use of deep red for the background and dark blue for the medallion, corners, and the border.

Arak rugs are beautiful hand woven Persian area rugs featuring Herati, Sarough, and Wiss patterns in shades of red, navy blue, green, and ivory.

Arak, previously known as Sultanabad, is the capital city in the Province of Arak, located in north-central Iran. A center of agricultural trade, this great city is also known for pottery, metalwork, and hand woven area rugs. A very important region in the making of Persian area rugs, the roots of its commercial rug weaving industry can be traced back to the 17th century. After World War II the Province of Arak became known for a particular style of rug called the Sarouk. These very attractive area rugs, named after a village in the area, typically feature detached floral sprays in an all-over design on a red background. Arak area rugs are woven using asymmetrical Persian knots. The quality of the rug is largely dependant on the number of knots per square inch and may vary from rug to rug.

Arak area rugs usually feature one of three major patterns. The most well known is the Herati, featuring small fish throughout the field, with or without a central medallion. The Sarough is a more curvilinear pattern of intertwined grapevines throughout the field and a round central medallion. The pattern known as Wiss is comprised of three diamonds that make up the central medallion. Arak area rugs are predominantly red and navy blue, while green and ivory are prominently used as well.

Najafabad rugs, hand woven in central Iran, are known for their curvilinear patterns with medallions quite like the rugs produced in Isfahan and Kashan.

Najafabad is located in central Iran near the city of Isfahan. As well as being a well known and respected center for area rug weaving, Najafabad is also the trade center for an agricultural region noted for its pomegranates. An area rug woven in Najafabad is not distinctive to the city, but rather to the region. The style follows most closely the designs and colors of its neighbors in Isfahan and Kashan and to a lesser degree Yadz and Ardekan. Although not the equal of the legendary Isfahan area rug, Najafabad rugs are of extremely good quality and have great symmetry to them. Local artisans use Persian knots which offer greater precision.

Known for curvilinear patterns with medallions, a Najafabad area rug will typically feature symmetrical designs of single medallions, flowing vines, and sword flowers on an ivory background. The symmetrical and well balanced designs on a Najafabad area rug often feature a striking contrast between the borders and field. The Najafabad area rug in the Kashan style is decorated with variations on a traditional floral pattern that hasn't changed a great deal since the 17th century - a single medallion in the center, and Persian floral motifs including arabesques, flower stems, palmettos, rosettes, and blossom and leaf motifs forming extremely dense patterns. In addition to the traditional vibrant reds and blue, a Najafabad area rug will feature subtle, muted shades of beige, pale blue, sage, khaki, and olive green.

Sabzevar rugs, hand woven in northeastern Iran, feature a rounded medallion and they use more light blue and cream than other cities in the region.

Sabzevar, located in the Province of Khorassan in northeastern Iran, is a major silk route town between Tehran and Mashad. Previously called Bayhagh, the desert city of Sabzevar has been an important source of traditional rugs since the 1500s. Due to its close proximity to Mashad, there is a great similarity in the traditional rugs produced in both cities. Sabzevar is also the source of some of the best wool in Iran due to trace amounts of copper in the water. Two types of local wool go into the production of Sabzevar traditional rugs. Fall shearing gives rise to shorter fiber softer wool and spring shearing to a longer thicker fiber. Local artisans weave Sabzevar traditional rugs using both Persian and Turkish knots.

The features that distinguish Sabzevar traditional rugs from others in the region are a rounded medallion and the fact that they use more light blue and cream than other cities in the region. The center medallion is then framed with usually two or even three smaller borders. All Sabzevar traditional rugs feature curvilinear patterns. The natural colors are created from the local plants such as ghermez dane, pomegranate peel, walnut tree, pine tree, and the indigo plant. The dominant shades on Sabzevar traditional rugs are dark red, blue, and khaki while more subtle shades such as green and brown can be seen in newer carpets.

Zanjan rugs, woven in northwestern Iran by nomadic people, typically feature a geometric shape in the center that expands from the top to the bottom.

Zanjan, located in northwestern Iran quite close to Tehran, literally means “dear wife” or “dear woman” in Farsi. The magnificent tribal area rugs in Zanjan are all hand woven by nomadic tribes. Although Zanjan has a strong Turkish influence, the natives are all Kurdish. Living a peaceful and harmonious life with nature, the nomadic weavers live in a part of the world that is untouched by modern conveniences and technology. Both men and women partake in the art of weaving tribal area rugs both for their personal use and for commercial purposes. Weaving often represents the only source of income for the family. Crude, homemade looms are very compact in size so that they may be easily transported when the tribe migrates to its next location. It is for this reason that most Zanjan area rugs are small in size. Their looms are just not able to accommodate the larger sizes. Zanjan area rugs are single wefted in the center. The local artisans weave their tribal area rugs using both the Persian asymmetrical knot and the Turkish symmetrical knot.

Area rugs woven in Zanjan bear a striking resemblance to those from Bijar, although Zanjan area rugs generally have larger patterns. Typically the geometric shape in the center of Zanjan area rugs expands from the top to the bottom. These area rugs are usually very bright and vibrant with the motif in a darker color woven into a lighter colored background in order to show it off to its best advantage. Dark red, brown, and light blue traditionally make up the color palette.

Shiraz rugs are instantly recognized by a diamond lozenge employed on its own or in a series down the centre of the rug.

Shiraz is located in the Province of Fars, just south of Tehran. The history of this ancient city can be traced back to Neolithic times. Today Shiraz is considered to be the dominant market city of southwest Iran. Reputed to produce some of the finest Persian wool rugs on the market today, Shiraz is considered one of the most important cities for the weaving of wool rugs anywhere in the world. The weavers are truly skilled artisans who ply their craft using a horizontal loom and both Persian and Turkish knots with an approximate density of 100 KPSI (knots per square inch).

The defining characteristic of Shiraz wool rugs is the diamond lozenge employed either on its own or in a series of two or three down the centre of the rug. The field on Shiraz wool rugs typically features an assortment of small geometric motifs such as birds, animals, and human figures. Another trademark of Shiraz wool rugs is the “barber pole” effect created as a result of the sides being overcast with two strands of alternating colored wool. The borders on Shiraz wool rugs will usually have smaller bands around a larger band with palm and pine leaf designs. The diamond lozenge on Shiraz wool rugs is almost always in a shade of blue or black, with rich reds, browns and other earth tones featuring prominently.

Shiraz wool rugs are woven with a natural colored wool warp and colored weft cords. For extra durability goat hair may be blended with wool in the warps. The medium long pile is very thick, lustrous, and soft wool.

Ardabil rugs, woven from fine wool and silk in northwestern Iran, feature the famous Mahi (Herati) design of a diamond medallion with small fish throughout.

Ardabil, a town located in the province of Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran, 639 kilometers from Tehran has a long and illustrious history of Persian carpet weaving. The reign of the Safavid Dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries represented the peak of Persian carpet making in the region. The name Ardabil comes from the Avesta (The sacred book of Zoroastrians) with the word Artavil literally meaning a tall holy place. The weavers in Ardabil ply their craft using Persian knots. One of the most famous carpets in existence today is a Persian carpet from Ardabil. This magnificent masterpiece measuring 34' x 17' is hanging on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.

An Ardabil Persian carpet features motifs that are very similar to Caucasian rugs, but with more motifs and objects woven into the borders. The colors are also lighter. The patterns are predominantly geometric and the most common layouts on an Ardabil Persian carpet are medallions, multiple connected diamond-shaped medallions, and all-over octagonal shapes. The most recognized design found on an Ardabil Persian carpet is the famous Mahi (Herati) design - a diamond medallion and small fish throughout. Some modern weavers have begun to favor bold geometric patterns over the traditional Mahi (Herati) design and have added colors such as turquoise and purple to the more traditional red, pink, ivory, green, and blue.