ASIA STORIES
The Ardabil Carpet
The Ardabil Carpet (click image for larger version)
The Ardabil carpet was completed in 1539-40 and is the world's oldest dated carpet. It is named after the town of Ardabil in north-west Iran. Shah Tahmasp, the ruler of Iran between 1524 and 1576, ordered the carpet for the shrine of his ancestor, Shaykh Safi al-Din, which still stands in the town. The carpet remained in use there for more than 300 years.
The Ardabil carpet is very large, measuring roughly 10.5 metres by 5 metres. Its size and beauty, together with its outstanding historical significance, makes it the most important carpet in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and one of the finest in the world.
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The Design of the Ardabil Carpet
The entire surface of the Ardabil carpet is covered by a single integrated design - an impressive feat in view of the great size of the carpet. The basic design is relatively simple, and its components are well-balanced.
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How the Ardabil Carpet was made
The first stage in production was to tie the warps on to a huge, vertical loom. The weavers then knotted short lengths of wool around the warps to create a row of pile...
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Why was the Ardabil Carpet made?
One of the main sights in the town of Ardabil in north-west Iran is the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ardabili, who died in 1334. The Shaykh was a Sufi leader, who trained his followers in Islamic mystic practices...
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The Ardabil Carpet and the V&A
The two Ardabil carpets were still in the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din in 1843, when one was seen by two British visitors. Thirty years or more later, the shrine suffered an earthquake, and the carpets were sold off, perhaps to raise funds for repairs...