A style of drawing built from flowing curves, such as vines, scrolls, tendrils and rounded flower outlines, in contrast to the straight edges and angles of geometric design. It is the usual look of floral city and workshop rugs from Nain, Kashan, Tabriz and Isfahan, where curved lines and flowers are combined for a harmonious, fluid effect, while village and tribal rugs are mostly geometric and carry only some curvilinear flowers. Fine curves need a high knot density; with too few knots they look blurry or pixelated.
A style of rug drawing built from angular shapes such as hexagons, diamonds and squares, outlined by straight lines, in contrast to the flowing curves of floral designs. It goes back to some of the oldest Persian rugs, before floral designs, and is typical of village and tribal rugs (Heriz, Hamadan, Zanjan, Abadeh, Karaja, Qashqai, Kazak, Turkmen), though city workshops such as Tabriz also weave it. Many shapes carry symbolic meaning. It comes as an allover pattern, a single central medallion or repeating medallions, and geometric rugs are known for strong borders. Because the shapes need little fine detail, a low-to-medium knot density is enough, as in Heriz and Karaja rugs, and Heriz is still known for durability.
Carpets woven by nomadic tribes across the Middle East, Central Asia, and North Africa, who move with their flocks through spring, summer and fall and settle in winter to weave. Working on compact portable looms, they typically make small pieces (for example 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 ft, about 1.2 x 1.8 or 1.5 x 2.1 m), sometimes runners, using wool from their own flocks, often for both foundation and pile, traditionally dyed with local plants. The bold, mostly geometric designs are passed down through generations without written patterns and sometimes echo city rugs. Unlike city or workshop rugs, they often show asymmetry, color variation and patterns that do not resolve neatly at the corners.
A Persian term for knot density, used alongside the knots-per-square-inch figure (KPSI) to express how finely a rug is knotted. In Iran it is traditionally counted along a stretch of about 7 cm (2.75 in) of a row of knots rather than per square inch. A higher raj means finer, more detailed weaving, but the figure is easy to over-read: a bold geometric design needs a lower count than an intricate curved or floral one, so what matters is whether the density suits the pattern.
A flat-woven rug technique that creates a textured surface resembling braiding or embroidery. Unlike kilims, soumaks have a raised pattern created by wrapping weft threads around warp threads. This technique produces durable rugs with distinctive geometric designs and a textured surface, traditionally made in the Caucasus region, Iran, and Turkey.
Tribal carpets woven by the Yoruk (Yürük) nomadic people of Anatolia and the Balkans. These distinctive rugs feature bold geometric designs, vibrant colors, and tribal symbols with cultural significance. Characterized by their coarse weave, sturdy construction, and use of natural dyes, Yoruk rugs often incorporate protective motifs and symbols representing fertility, family, and tribal identity.