Carpet-making has a long tradition in Iran. Persian rugs appear to be maintaining their popularity both in terms of sales and in the number of Iranians involved in the carpet-making business.

This masterly skill involving diligent work, also requires a great deal of creativity. First, weavers have to create a design, then paint the yarn and then weave the carpet. It can take up to 10 years to actually learn the skill.

Thousands of Iranians work on their woolen and silk masterpieces. Many families set up home workshops, and later sell their products to distributors. Making up to 40 carpets a year is enough to make a good living in Iran. Carpets sell well in the Iran Carpet Company shop, the country’s leading state manufacturer.

All Persian carpets differ in their size and design. Most of them have traditional oriental patterns. Depending on the material they are made of, they can take months to produce.

One of the Iranian factories has started making a 6,000 square meters carpet for a mosque in Abu Dhabi. It is made of silk, the most expensive material. Over 500 people are working on it.  It will take them 2 years to complete it and it’s estimated that the price will be around $US 10 MLN.