An arch- or doorway-shaped niche woven at one end of a prayer rugSmall rugs made for Islamic prayer, each featuring a mihrab (also spelled mehrab), an arched doorway that symbolizes the niche of a mosque and reminds the person praying that they stand in a sacred space; the arch also marks the direction of Mecca. The design is unidirectional, meant to be viewed from one end, and the arch may be a bare outline or an elaborate architectural frame with columns. Prayer rugs are often no larger than about 3' x 5' (0.9 x 1.5 m), are said to date back to the very early stages of rug making in Muslim lands, and are woven by Turkmen, Baluchi, Qum, Isfahan and Malayer weavers, among others. Any small rug can serve for prayer, but a true prayer rug carries the arch as its focal point.'s field, echoing the niche of a mosque that marks the direction of Mecca. It is the focal point of the rug and reminds the person praying that they stand in a sacred space. The drawing ranges from a bare outline of a doorway to an architectural rendering with columns and fine detail.
Small rugs made for Islamic prayer, each featuring a mihrabAn arch- or doorway-shaped niche woven at one end of a prayer rug's field, echoing the niche of a mosque that marks the direction of Mecca. It is the focal point of the rug and reminds the person praying that they stand in a sacred space. The drawing ranges from a bare outline of a doorway to an architectural rendering with columns and fine detail. (also spelled mehrab), an arched doorway that symbolizes the niche of a mosque and reminds the person praying that they stand in a sacred space; the arch also marks the direction of Mecca. The design is unidirectional, meant to be viewed from one end, and the arch may be a bare outline or an elaborate architectural frame with columns. Prayer rugs are often no larger than about 3' x 5' (0.9 x 1.5 m), are said to date back to the very early stages of rug making in Muslim lands, and are woven by TurkmenTribal rugs woven by Turkoman (Turkmen) nomads, whose forebears came from the Afghan and Uzbek region and who later settled in the Turkmen region of Iran. Rows of octagonal guls (“flowers”) cover a deep red, reddish-brown or occasionally cream field, accented in black, blue, green or beige; prayer designs also occur. Foundation and pile are usually wool, said to come from the soft undercoat of Karakul sheep, though a cotton foundation is occasionally used. In older pieces each tribe kept its own gul design, whereas newer rugs freely mix them. Turkoman designs inspired Bokhara and Khal Mohammadi rugs and are the Persian design closest to Baluchi work, which they predate; the low-to-medium pile suits places where doors swing over the rug., Baluchi, QumPersian rugs from the city of Qum (Qom), a comparatively young weaving center whose rugs are known for the highest knot density of any Persian type. About nine in ten are pure silk on a silk foundation, at roughly 600 to 1,000 knots per square inch (KPSI; about 93 to 155 per cm²); the rest, with kork wool or silk-and-wool piles, run about 300 to 700 KPSI (about 47 to 108 per cm²). Designs are floral medallions, hunting scenes and pictorials, mostly in soft pastel, ivory, gold and green tones (a pistachio-green field is prized) on light or dark grounds. Newer rugs usually carry a workshop signature, older ones often do not. The local water is said to soften and brighten silk, so silk rugs from across Iran are sent there for washing., Isfahan and Malayer weavers, among others. Any small rug can serve for prayer, but a true prayer rug carries the arch as its focal point.