LILIAN

The history of Lilian, a village located south of Sultanabad, began in the 17th century, when a large group of Armenians settled here. Lilian rugs, therefore, are made by the descendants of these Armenian refugees. The patterns of these rugs have been greatly influenced by nearby Sarough. In fact the rugs have the same designs of floral bouquets typical of the area, although the Lilian rugs are softer than the Saroughs. Items made at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century are very beautiful and are highly prized if well conserved; these early rugs are characterized by a special shade of pink, known as dughi that is obtained from madder.