the small town of abadeh lies on the road from shiraz to isfahan in southern iran. rugs typical of the town are decorated with harmonious colors, typically with red, terracotta, brown and blue.

the designs, similar to those of qashgai rugs are a brilliant mixture of iranian and caucasian design. a central medallion is placed in a diamond- shaped field with a red ground. similar medallions often appear in the corners of the rugs and small flowers and leaf patterns are imaginatively scattered throughout the rug.

bakhtiari

the nomadic tribes of the bakhtiari live in the southern iran between isfahan and the persian gulf. this tribe originally came from turkey and brought with it and extremely hard-wearing carpets. it is not unusual for a superior quality bakhtiari to be described by the tribes as a "bibibaff rug" which means the carpet was made by talented women.

bakhtiari carpets are often quite bold, with brilliant shades of red, rust and blue splashed across a cream background. the design is frequently divided into small compartments covering the whole center of the rug. each compartment contains stylized floral decorations such as the "tree of life".

each village in the bakhtiari region has its own special design. typically these rugs are made of rather dry wool and weft-threads, which are blue and tend to show very distinctly on the back of the rug.

since the late 1800�s, the large town of kirman, in southern iran produces these handsome and lustrous carpets that are extremely dense and durable. the foundation is made of cotton with fine pile wool and senneh knots.

not all the rug-making is done in kirman itself. kirman rugs are woven in surrounding countries, as well is the towns of yezd and raver, situated to the north and south of kirman.

kirman carpets are richly decorated with flowers and flower-sprays scattered throughout the carpet. kirman carpets are well known for conservative, central floral medallion patterns and floral borders they can be easily identified by their pastel-shaded roses throughout the rug. one can occasionally find a kirman rug with images of people or animals sitting amongst the flora.