Persian Rug History

Every year, Iran exports more than 500 million dollars worth of hand-woven rugs and carpets to places all over the world. In fact, hand-woven carpets are the number one non-oil export of Iran, and the third total.
Carpet production in other parts of the world has become largely mechanized, but a majority of producers in Iran still do them by hand. Almost five million laborers are involved in the carpet industry in Iran, one of the biggest industries in the country.
 
Unfortunately, many companies in other countries have capitalized on the popularity of Persian rugs by mechanically producing fakes that are much cheaper and quicker to make. The traditional art faces many challenges in the modern area because it is not a patented process, and doesn’t follow modern western branding and marketing schemes- which helps maintain the authenticity of the art, but also puts the producers at a disadvantage. Others can use lower-quality materials and cheaper processes to make a fairly good facsimile. Unfortunately, as a result, the market value of any Persian carpet has dropped.
 
But people around the world can help maintain the integrity of this fine art by buying only authentic Persian carpets, checking with retailers and vendors about the origins of their products, and resisting  settling for the cheaper substitute.