Brief History of Bakhtiari Rugs
Located
in the southwest of Isfahan, Bakhtiari is in the Zagros Mountains.
This provides an inspirational environment for the making and designing
of rugs and carpets. The word Bakhtiari is composed to two small words;
Bakht (luck) and yar (companion). This originates from when the
Iranians first migrated into this region; considering themselves lucky
to find these vast lands, they called their region Batch-yar.
The
settlers did what was most common in these days and created hand woven
oriental rugs and carpets to offer and distribute to the world market
that was continually growing. The majority of Bakhtiari rugs are hand
knotted in smaller surrounding settlements such as Saman, Chehel Shotor
and Shalamzar.
Patterns and Designs of the Bakhtiari Rugs
Many of the scenes originate back to the 18th
century, when the Khans started to make many great palaces and
mansions. Surrounding these large buildings in the Chahar Mahal valley
where courtyards and gardens that were considered a symbol of status and
pride. Carrying this symbol, these beautiful gardens gave the weavers
an idea that became a significant theme in the history of rug
manufacturing.
Many of the patterns and scenes that date back to the 18th
century are still an important base for all the handmade Bakhtiari rugs
in these regions. As well as the themes that stayed fairly constant
over the years, the knotting styles are still continuing to show in the
majority of floor coverings that are exported from Iran.