Gharadjeh rugs

Gharadjeh rugs are produced in northwestern Iran and feature a very unusual repeating medallion design in neutral earth tones with light colored and ivory backgrounds.
Gharadjeh rugs are hand woven by nomads that live between the Caspian Sea and Tabriz.
This region in Iran is known for being the most influential area in the world when it comes to the development of the modern day rug industry. These beautiful and durable rugs come in very long lengths, making them ideal for use as a stair runner. In North America the stair runner is much more commonly used than in Europe, but the trend is definitely catching on.
Men and women of the tribe are both trained as skilled weavers. The Turkish knot is the one most commonly used on the Gharadjeh stair runner and the average KPSI (knots per square inch) is approximately 53.
The Gharadjeh stair runner can be easily differentiated from others in northwestern Iran because of its repeating medallion design. The only other tribe that weaves in this way is the Turkamen tribe. The patterns on a Gharadjeh stair runner are geometric, with small and unique key medallions in an all-over design. Occasionally animals and plants can be found in the field.
If instead of a stair runner, the Gharadjeh rug is large and more square, it will have the name Goravan or Heriz. The Heriz design – geometric shield pattern with turtle design border - is used in Gharadjeh stair runner weaving, but many are decorated with designs from earlier kennareh (runners). While an older Gharadjeh stair runner would feature deep red as the dominant color, more recent ones are woven in neutral earth tones with light colored and ivory backgrounds.
The foundation on a Gharadjeh stair runner is cotton, while the pile is wool. They are extremely tough and durable so that they are able to withstand the heavy amount of traffic that they will have to handle. In addition to serving a very specific function, a Gharadjeh stair runner is also decorative, providing beauty and warmth to its surroundings