Carpets, Flying and Otherwise

This may be a good time to say a word or two about the famous Persian carpets, which we see in the bazaar as well as in the Carpet Museum we saw in Teheran. There are two basic kinds: city carpets and gabbe, the carpets of the koshkoi, which are woven differently and meant for creating a home in rugged conditions. The patterns vary greatly between the two, as well as the contrast of the colors . Both are extremely beautiful. I hope to distribute some pictures shortly. I did not know before that it is actually a good thing to step on the carpets; because the wear and the washing increases their antiquity value. They are designed for this, and people often put them in high-traffic areas so they will be ‘worn-in.’ Still, it’s best not to walk on them with your shoes off the street, as this does grind in too much oil and dirt.

There are hundreds of beautiful carpets, old and new, city and nomadic, in the Tehran museum we visited. My favorites are the ones which tell a story, whether of the Tree of Life, or remembering the war, or other sagas. There are detailed colorful birds, and one which contains an owl that strikes my eye. There are also thousands of carpets out in the bazaar, everything from the traditional patterns to Tweety Bird.