A type of carpet constructed without pile, where the warp and weft threads are woven together to create a flat surface. Examples include kilims, dhurries, and soumaks. Flatweaves are typically reversible, lightweight, and easier to clean than pile carpets, making them popular for casual spaces and warmer climates.
A rectangular woven box-bag — nomadic luggage — used by tribes of Persia and the Caucasus to store and transport bedding on migration. Woven flat in kilim, soumak, or mixed techniques and then assembled, mafrash panels display some of the boldest tribal design work, and many antique examples have been opened up and repurposed as striking flatweave rugs or cushions.
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.