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 The
Mahals are hand-woven in the region known as the Mahallat, near Arak the
capital of the province of Markad, which sits in west-central Iran. The
history of this region is very rich and its rug weaving industry dates back
many centuries. The carpets usually employ the famous 'Herati' design. This
is an elegant all-over pattern which suits modern or traditional interiors.
Color schemes using beige and chocolate or beige and terra cotta are
particularly popular with designers.
History & Construction of Mahal Rugs
A very important rug-producing district in Iran, Arak or Sultanabad is
located in the central north-west of Iran, south of the province of Zanjan
in the province of Markad. Some of these areas include Mahallat, Ferahan and
Lylyan, and a few of the more prominent neighboring towns and villages are:
Malayer, Meshkabad, Mirabad, Seraband, Sarough, Jozan, along with many small
Kurdish villages and settlements. All these neighboring villages produce
carpets that are marketed in Arak.
It was in Arak that the Manchester firm of Ziegler's first opened an office
in 1883. Originally an importer, the firm soon realized the financial
advantages of starting a carpet factory in this region to produce items to
be marketed in Europe and the USA. It has been estimated that by the turn of
the century, Ziegler controlled over 2,500 looms in this district. The
Mahallat produces the very high quality Mahal, and Sarough also produces
exquisite pieces. The rugs are woven using asymmetrical Persian knots.
Although not uncommon in older or antique pieces, silk is rarely used. In
rare cases the rug has a pile of silk and wool. Cotton, or more rarely goat
hair, is used for the foundation, and the pile is hand-spun from the
weaver's own sheep.
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