Style: Mashad Rugs and Persian Khorasan Mashad Carpets

Mashad, located in Khorasan province in northeast Iran, south of Turkmenistan, is known as an Islamic Center for the Arts, science, and religion, and as the city of Ferdowsi, a Persian poet who authored the national epic poem of Iran Shahnameh (Book of Kings) in the 11th century. The second largest city in Iran, Mashad has become a tourist center, and it is a holy city: millions of pilgrims visit the Imam Reza shrine, which is larger than the Vatican City.

Mashad (or Mashad, Meshed) rugs are known for their soft kork wool, lustrous finish, large size, designs that feature a central medallion, elaborate and large with pendants, intricate floral patterns, curvilinear floral corners, vivid or dark red for the background, blue for the medallion and ivory colors.

The Shah Abbas design is common in Mashad rugs: stylized symmetrical flowers with elaborate floral patterns around them. In the 20th century, the Amoghli Saber and Khadivi families of Mashad were renowned for their rugs, which can be found in the palaces of Iran.

Beautiful Rugs has an old Persian Mashad handmade rug (552) with a rich, deep red field and a small central, circular blue, red, and yellow floret medallion around which arabesque patterns of several different sizes, colors, and stylization Shah Abbasi floral motifs are used, along with circular florets and serrated leaves. Split leaf arabesques (or Garrus) designs also appear in the main field of the rug and within the main and narrower subordinate borders.