Rug weaving is an ancient craft that can be traced back to the 5th century BC.
The world’s oldest rug, named the Pazyryk Rug, was discovered in a burial site
in the Altay Mountains of Siberia, although many scholars believe it was made
in Persia.
6th Century Persian manuscripts mention a rug called the 'Spring of Khosrau',
woven with wool, silk, gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones, which
some say belonged to the Persian king, Khosrau I of the Sassanid Dynasty, who
ruled from 531-579 AD.
Although some modern rugs are still handmade to the highest standards of
yesteryear, there has been a proliferation of machine-made rugs using all
types of fibres, in traditional as well as abstract designs.
Machine-made rugs are generally more affordable and, because of the variation
in designs and colours, are used extensively in all forms of decoration.
