Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

The Ardabil or Sheikh Safi carpet is the most well-known of the eight well-known Safavid Persian rug mentioned by Cecil Edwards. Regarding the Ardabil carpet, he states: “This well-known carpet is called the Ardabil carpet because it originates from a mosque in Ardabil, where Shah Ismail and his ancestor Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili (from whom the Safavid dynasty got its name) are buried. On William Morris’ advice, this carpet was acquired from Vincent Robinson Company, which had previously purchased it from Ziegler Company in Tabriz. Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

For this rug, one of Hafez’s sonnets is woven:

My head is not in the hawala except for this sometimes……. except for your threshold in the world of refuge Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

The action of Dargah Maqsood Kashani’s servant

In terms of texture and style, Ardabil carpet is among the most renowned and beautiful Silk carpets in the world. Because it bears a date and a signature, it is also regarded as a significant document in history. As such, it forms the core of a collection of trench rugs with a similar style that can be conclusively dated to the middle of the 16th century, having been woven in the 13th year of Shah Tahmasb’s 52-year reign (1539 AD/946 AH).

The carpet contains around 17 x 19 knots per square inch, which is comparable to the finest kind of Kashan carpet from thirty years ago. The warp and weft are composed of silk, and the knot is Persian. Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

Since the Ardabil carpet was made with the intention of spreading in a sacred location, it has a serene design and no upsetting depictions of people or animals, in contrast to many other well-known carpets of that era. It is forbidden in Islam to show such pictures in places of worship.

This Silk rugs texture and pattern are excellent. It appears that the designer intended to display the circular dome with two gold lanterns hanging from it, as seen by the sixteen oval cleats and two lanterns dangling from each side, which are modeled after the shape of a sixteen-feather claret. The carpet’s four corners each replicate a quarter of the central design, which is a well-balanced and aesthetically pleasing rule.

The carpet features two thin borders with expertly woven spiral (chain) designs, and its main border is adorned with a pattern of frames in the center. This design is the first example of this style and is highly well-known. In several nations across the world, it has been utilized repeatedly.

*Click on the opposite link to see precious Iranian handmade and machine combined silk carpets*

All of the sources agree that only with the assistance of the top-tier carpet designers and masters of the era, who surely worked in the court weaving workshop, was it possible to prepare a carpet with such a lovely and pleasant design and with skillful and masterful precision. It is verified that the aforementioned carpet was woven at Shah Tahmasb’s Tabriz studio because the city served as the capital throughout his reign. Furthermore, according to the cited sources, the collection of superb 16th-century carpets with the tangerine design is definitely connected to the Ardabil carpet, which was produced in Tabriz. Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

However, how is this feasible? The Ardabil carpet was prepared on 946 Hijri/1539. Stoli Long before this day, Shah Tahmasb had relocated his capital to Qazvin after recognizing that Tabriz, because to its defensive location, was vulnerable to Turkish invasion. His prudence was entirely warranted, as this city was taken by the Turks in 1533/940 AH, six years before the Ardabil carpet was finished. Over the next twenty years, it was liberated and conquered four more times.

Did Shah Tahmasab abandon his carpet weaving factory in Tabriz to make the carpets he ordered for the Ardabil Mosque in Tabriz when the city was overrun by the Turks, or did he relocate his capital from Tabriz to Qazvin for security reasons? turned into? If this is the case, the Ardabil Persian rug designs could not be at the Victoria Albert Museum today but rather in one of Istanbul’s museums.

Technically speaking, it is unlikely that Tabriz is the birthplace of Ardabil Style and maktab of Persian carpet since it is woven in Persian knots, but if it was created in Tabriz and the city was taken by the invaders, Turkish knots were employed, as they are to this day. This kind of knot is still used by Turkish people today. Of course, this is conceivable, but it doesn’t seem realistic that the carpet weaver brought hundreds of carpet weavers to Tabriz to establish a royal carpet weaving workshop. The workshop and weavers were also relocated to Qazvin when Shah Tahmasb’s capital was moved from Tabriz to that city.

In this instance, the Ardabil carpet and the majority of the carpets in this group must have been made in Qazvin; yet, in this situation, there are unquestionably some remnants, indications, or customs of this significant event that still exist in Qazvin, although such pieces are not found in the city. Furthermore, Iranians have never said that Qazvin is where the carpets from the Safavid era were produced. Now, where were the Ardabil carpets and other carpets of a similar nature woven if these carpets were not produced in Tabriz or Qazvin?

From a technological perspective, it is impossible to overlook Iran’s eastern cities (Herat and the like) and southern cities (Kerman and Shiraz). Since Sultanabad (Arak) was constructed in the 19th century, it did not exist at the time. There is no evidence that Hamedan produced exquisite and high-quality carpets, despite the employment of Turkish knot.

Isfahan, in my opinion, shouldn’t be taken into account in this context since, prior to the reign of Shah Abbas Kabir, the grandson of Shah Tahmasb, the city wasn’t regarded as a hub for Pazyryk carpet weaving. Shah Abbas established a royal weaving studio in Isfahan and declared it his capital. Thus, the birthplace of Maqsood, the carpet manufacturer, is reduced to the towns of Ardabil and Kashan. Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

It seems unlikely that this carpet was produced in Ardabil city, it is possible that Maqsood was ordered to bring his carpet weaving workers to this city and set up a weaving workshop in the vicinity of the mosque, that is, the place where the carpet should be spread. The poems written on the carpet also say that it was woven in a holy place, but again we see that there is no record or tradition in Ardabil. If, apart from the two famous carpets, other similar carpets were prepared in the vicinity of the mosque, traces and signs of this work will definitely remain.

It is improbable that this carpet was made in Ardabil; instead, Maqsood could have been told to send his carpet-weaving employees here and establish a workshop near the mosque, which is where the carpet is supposed to be laid. The poetry on the carpet also claim that it was weaved in a sacred location, but once more, Ardabil has no tradition or documentation of this. Traces and indications of this effort will undoubtedly survive if, in addition to the two well-known carpets, more such carpets were created in the area surrounding the mosque.

The famous Ardabil carpet may have been woven in Kashan, but not because it was intended to be a famous Kashan. In a nation where last names were not used, putting the name of one’s hometown after one’s name helped to identify oneself. This does not imply that Maqsood lived in Kashan and worked as a carpet weaver there. As a result, Kashan has an advantage over Tabriz, Qazvin, and Ardabil, and it can be said that it was the famous birthplace of carpets, as this city has been the hub of the Origins of Persian carpet industry for centuries.

“In no city of Iran is the velvet weaving industry, weaving taffeta and satin, and simple and flowery zarift and zari fabrics as popular as in Kashan,” says Edwards, quoting Chardin from the 16th century. Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili persian carpet

Anthony Shirley also makes nearly the same remarks on Kashan, stating in particular that “Iranian carpets have amazing elegance and beauty.”

Edwards Peel claims that Simon and Peter, who traveled to Kashan in 1607–1608, agree that the inhabitants there weave carpets using Persian knots. Edwards concludes his talk by saying: “In this instance, we ought to wrap up the conversation on this matter right here.

This little study aimed to demonstrate the strong belief regarding the origin of each Safavid carpet. Since the Ardabil Persian rug is one of the few with a date and signature, I decided to study it.

Ettinghausen highlights the weaving of some well-known Safavid carpets in Herat even though he mentions the existence of “Safawi workshops in Kashan, Isfahan, and Joshghan.” However, many artists have not verified the texture of Safavid carpets, particularly during the second period of Shah Tahmasb and Shah Abbas’ rule in Herat.