BIDJAR

Bidjar is an important city in Kurdistan, located in a green valley about 120 km from Hamadan. Its rugs are among the heaviest, sturdiest, stiffest and most durable of all Persian products, making them ideal for heavily trafficked areas. These rugs are said to be double-warped, this refers to the way the warps are strung closely together and alternate with weft shoots pulled so tightly, with a special metal hook or comb, that the warp lies on two levels, practically one behind the other. There is an interesting variety of decorative patterns: concentric diamond shapes with different background colours, herati designs, diamond-shaped medallions with herati motifs on a plain background, or traditional patterns with medallions and corner-pieces on herati backgrounds. There are also rugs with boteh on the entire field, or the Mina khani design which, according to some scholars, was actually created in Kurdistan. The colours are often highly contrasting and deep shades or red or blue are used next to each other. The borders are often decorated with a slightly stylized version of the herati motif.