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An Afghan rug (or Afghan carpet) is a type of handwoven floor-covering textile traditionally made in the northern and western areas of
Afghan Rug Pop Up Brings Awareness—and Rugs—to the U.S.
(Andrea Lillo, November 4, 2019)
For Kabul’s carpet, antique dealers, a long wait for buyers
(Al Jazeera, September 28, 2021) {{Rugs and carpets
An Afghan rug (or Afghan carpet) is a type of handwoven floor-covering textile traditionally made in the northern and western areas of Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
, mainly by Afghan Turkmens
Afghan Turkmens or Turkmens of Afghanistan ( fa, ترکمن های افغان, tk, Owgan türkmenleri, ) live in the north-west of Afghanistan along the border with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, surrounded by a larger group of Afghan Uzbeks. Th ...
and Uzbeks
The Uzbeks ( uz, , , , ) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the wider Central Asian region, being among the largest Turkic ethnic group in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakh and Karakalpak mino ...
.
Types and varieties
One of the most exotic and distinctive of all oriental rugs is the ''Shindand
Sabzwār ( fa, سبزوار) is a town and the center of the Sabzwar District, Herat Province, Afghanistan. It is located at at 1,066 m altitude on the Harut River. The Sabzwar Air Base is located about 15 miles northeast of the town.
S ...
'' or '' Adraskan'' (named after local Afghan towns), woven in the Herat Province
Herat ( Persian: ) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north-western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city a ...
, in western Afghanistan. Strangely elongated human and animal figures are their signature look. The carpet can be sold across Afghanistan with the most based in Mazar-e Sharif.
Another staple of Afghanistan is Baluchi rugs, most notably Baluchi prayer rugs. They are made by Afghanistan's Baloch people
The Baloch or Baluch ( bal, بلۏچ, Balòc) are an Iranian people who live mainly in the Balochistan region, located at the southeasternmost edge of the Iranian plateau, encompassing the countries of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. There a ...
in the south-western part of the country.
Various vegetable and other natural dye
Natural dyes are dyes or colorants derived from plants, invertebrates, or minerals. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable dyes from plant sources— roots, berries, bark, leaves, and wood—and other biological sources such as fungi.
Ar ...
s are used to produce the rich colors. The rugs are mostly of medium sizes. Many patterns and colors are used, but the traditional and most typical is that of the octagonal elephant's foot (Bukhara
Bukhara ( Uzbek: /, ; tg, Бухоро, ) is the seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan, with a population of 280,187 , and the capital of Bukhara Region.
People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and the city ...
) print, often with a red background. The weavers also produce other trappings of the nomadic lifestyle, including tent bags and ceremonial pieces.
Production
In 2021 Afghanistan exported 800,000 square meters of Afghan rug, which generated about $30 million dollars. In 2008, 2013, and 2014 Afghan rugs won international awards at an international exhibition held every year inHamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
. It was reported that around 2 million Afghans are involved in the rug business in Afghanistan.
Some Afghan rugs are woven by Afghan refugees
Afghan refugees are citizens of Afghanistan who were compelled to abandon their country as a result of major wars, persecution, torture or genocide. The 1978 Saur Revolution followed by the 1979 Soviet invasion marked the first wave of interna ...
who reside on a temporary basis in Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. It has been reported that the majority of Afghan rugs during the war period were sent to Pakistan to be exported, where they were given the label "Made in Pakistan" when they were made in Afghanistan.
See also
* Culture of Afghanistan * Economy of Afghanistan * War rugs * Pakistani rugReferences
External links
Afghan Rug Pop Up Brings Awareness—and Rugs—to the U.S.
(Andrea Lillo, November 4, 2019)
For Kabul’s carpet, antique dealers, a long wait for buyers
(Al Jazeera, September 28, 2021) {{Rugs and carpets