The small town of Malayer is located mid-way between Hamadan and Arak. Weaving is done in Malayer and over two hundred area villages. The villages northwest of Malayer, toward Hamadan, weave a carpet very similar to the structure of Hamadan. These rugs are woven with a symmetrical knot and a single shoot of weft between the rows of knots. The designs frequently used are the Boteh, Herati, and Medallion and Corner. The villages to the southeast of Malayer, toward Arak, weave a more finely knotted carpet, very similar in weave to Sarouk. These rugs are sometimes referred to as “Malayer Sarouks”. They are asymmetrically knotted with row shoots of weft passing between the rows of knots. The medallion and corner design is commonly used. Josan is the most important of the villages in this area. The Arak weaving area is situated to the east of the Hamadan area and includes the towns of Arak, Sarouk, Seraband, Ferahan, and Lillihan. With exception of Lillihan, all of these towns use the asymmetrical knot with two shoots of wefts

Handmade Persian Rugs, Hand Knotted Oriental Rugs, Wool Area Rugs Hand-knotted Oriental rugs are pieces of art not just accessories for your home. Throughout history, these handmade rugs have been the object of fascination, desire, and status. CatalinaRug.com's mission is to help bring this rich cultural legacy to your home - at a affordable price! Browse our history of area rugs to learn all about the history of Oriental rugs and the weaving methods used to create them. Evidence suggests that thousands of years ago, nomadic tribesmen between Eurasia and Mongolia were the first to create pile carpets. These carpets were woven to add warmth and comfort to their simple tent homes. As more and more tribes mastered the technique of weaving pile rugs, it became a common practice to incorporated their creativity into the designs transforming a trade skill into works of art. Area rugs became not just a functional neccessity in thier tent homes but a symbol of taste and refinement by adding personality and beauty to their sparse surroundings. Today's rug designs are more sophisticated, but they serve much the same purpose, lending beauty, warmth and personality to enhance a home. When considering a rug for your home, there are a number of reasons why you might decide upon hand knotted Oriental rugs or handmade Persian rugs instead of machine-made ones. Quality is the most important consideration. Handmade rugs are much more durable than mass-produced machine made rugs. Handmade rugs are usually made with natural materials such as cotton, wool or silk. These natural fibers last longer and release no harmful gasses into the environment over time. And since each rug is hand-knotted, each strand has been tied individually for greater combined strength and consistency