Persian Carpets As Favourite Iran Souvenirs
Persian carpets are among the favourite Iran souvenirs
Iranian carpets are very famous, both the handmade and the factory ones, this is why it’s something to consider when you are gift shopping in Iran for your relatives and close friends. If you are aiming at a quality product for a very nice present, for example, Kashan rugs are famous for their quality, keep in mind that it’s going to be a bit expensive.
Whenever you can, ask locals where it’s the best place to find rugs, for both quality and price. For example, the bazaar around Imam Square in Isfahan has many carpet shops, but they are way over-priced and the quality is not always the best. You can bargain the price but still, it’s famous for being a bit of a rip-off place. Ask your guide or friends where you can find good deals.
When looking for the right rug among the many at an Iranian carpet shop, it can be hard to choose. Here are some things I would recommend you keep in mind, especially if you are buying an expensive handmade Persian carpet.
- If you are a small family of one and two, you can choose a light colour as you won’t make it dirty often, while if you are a bigger family you should better get a darker coloured carpet so you don’t have to wash it too often as washing reduces the life of the carpet.
- Make sure the carpet is straight along all its sides. By folding the carpet from the middle you will see if all the edges overlap evenly.
- Check out the carpet in the natural light to make sure it has a smooth colour across the whole surface and to see ifits soft, flexible and shiny.
- To test the quality of the texture and see if the carpet is decayed or was repaired and darned, check the back of the carpet.
- Be sure you are buying your Persian carpet from reliable shops and have them give you a properly stamped receipt for it.
- Make sure the color and size match with your home decoration!