An Arraiolos rug, Arraiolos tapestry, Arraiolos carpet or Portuguese needlework rug (in Portuguese, ''Tapete de Arraiolos'') is a traditionally embroidered wool rug made in the town of

Arraiolos Arraiolos (), officially the Town of Arraiolos (), is a town and municipality in the Évora District of Portugal. As of 2021, the municipality had a population of 6,606 people and covered an area of . The town itself was home to 3,133 residents in ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, dating back to at least the 16th century. They are partly inspired by

Persian carpet A Persian carpet ( ), Persian rug ( ),Savory, R., ''Carpets'',(Encyclopaedia Iranica); accessed 30 January 2007. or Iranian carpet is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in Iran (histo ...

s, though there are notable differences in their construction and design."Arraiolos rug" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 585. Unlike Persian and Turkish rugs, which are woven on looms using knots (asymmetric in Persian rugs and symmetric in Turkish ones), Arraiolos rugs are embroidered using a diagonal cross-stitch technique known as ''ponto de Arraiolos''. This technique is easier to execute than knotting, making it more accessible for local artisans. Despite the difference in construction, the decorative patterns of Arraiolos rugs are closely aligned with those of Persian carpets, with similar motifs and symmetry, influenced by

Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslims, Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across ...

. The patterns and structure of the rugs evolved over time, incorporating influences from European textile arts, including Baroque and Rococo styles during the 17th and 18th centuries. The earliest written references to Arraiolos rugs date back to the late 16th century, with a mention of a "tapete da terra" (local rug) in an inventory of goods. By the late 17th century, there is documented evidence of Arraiolos rugs being traded in Lisbon. However, by the 19th century, the production of Arraiolos rugs began to decline, as the traditional craft was increasingly overshadowed by industrialization and the rise of machine-made textiles. The production of Arraiolos rugs is thought to have begun due to a combination of local factors: the availability of materials, the presence of weaving workshops, and a strong tradition of textile crafts in the region. The influence of Islamic weavers, who lived in Portugal from the 8th to the 15th centuries, is also significant. A migration and settlement of these people in Arraiolos and

Alentejo Alentejo ( , , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond the Tagus" (). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo Province, Alto Alentejo and Bai ...

is believed to have occurred during the 15th century, following a royal edict to expel non-Christians issued by King

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...

in 1496. It is believed that these weavers introduced rug-making techniques to the people of Arraiolos, who adapted them into their own distinct style.

References and sources

;References ;Sources *BAPTISTA DE OLIVEIRA, Fernando. 1992 "Tapeçarias Decorativas de Arraiolos". {{authority control Rugs and carpets Culture of Portugal Arraiolos Embroidery