What are Oriental Rugs?
And just where is the Orient anyway?” In it’s purest definition, “Oriental rugs” are hand-knotted rugs from the Orient; traditionally made of wool, silk or other natural fibers. However, the term has come to describe all types of beautifully patterned carpets. Many fine retailers sell a mix of machine-made and hand-made rugs advertised as “Oriental rugs,” including those made in Belgium, Western Europe and the United States. They offer modern takes on traditional Oriental rugs, some even made of high-quality synthetic fibers. Synthetics make these beautiful pieces affordable and accessible to everyone. And although many people think the Orient as only China or Japan, it actually includes a vast area stretching from the Black and the Mediterranean Seas eastward to the People’s Republic of China. Often referred to as “the cradle of civilization,” this area produces almost all of the world’s handmade Oriental rugs. Today, Iran (or Persia) produces more handmade Oriental rugs than all othe
