# Persian Rugs



## Dubai1970 (May 12, 2012)

Hi - would be grateful for advice on where to buy Persian rugs at the best prices. The mall retailers will drop their prices by half with a little haggling, which if anything makes me more suspicious that they aren't the best bet for value or choice. 

Also - any tips on what to look for when purchasing rugs? I'm a novice at this.

Many thanks


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Take a drive out towardds Hatta loads of shops on the side of the road just befor you get to Hatta selling them, again have to haggle but their point of reference for starting is still lower than were you will get to with a final price in the malls.


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## Dubai1970 (May 12, 2012)

Thanks Laowei. I'm hearing the Blue Souk in Sharjah is also worth a look. 

Anyone know?


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## AK47 (Feb 16, 2012)

Dubai1970 said:


> Thanks Laowei. I'm hearing the Blue Souk in Sharjah is also worth a look.
> 
> Anyone know?


Yes, bought two rugs there, good selection and price was not too bad.


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## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

Friday market. It's in the mountains on the Masafi Road. About 50 mins from Dubai


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## Laowei (Nov 29, 2009)

Ogri750 said:


> Friday market. It's in the mountains on the Masafi Road. About 50 mins from Dubai


I like that Market, good for fruit and veg and plants as well. Nice scenic ride as well if you carry on past the Market towards Fujarah


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## supsguy (Oct 11, 2012)

Make sure you inspect it well before you buy it, before they wrap it.


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## Dubai1970 (May 12, 2012)

Thanks all - will try Blue Souq and Hatta road first. 

Also found a couple of articles online about what to look for.


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## hubbly_bubbly (Oct 17, 2010)

My 2 cents:

Always take the final carpet(s) of choice outside (during daylight) to see the real colours.

The softer and thinner the carpet (for wool), the better, meaning that it is flexible and more likely to be be genuine, especially if the seller is claiming that it is a "very old carpet". If the carpet is in very good condition but is a little worn, it also means it is tightly knotted, which is good.

Absolutely perfect rectangles are likely to be factory made. The odder the rectangle, without being actually out of shape, the better... and will most likely be an original. Same goes for the colours/dyes.

Try and do some research as to what area the carpet comes from with the carpet seller, so as to narrow down potentially what you will most like.

Ask for locally made as well as Persian/Afghan as sometimes, just sometimes, you can get a gem.

Imho, there is no such thing as an antique carpet. They were all bought, sold or stolen many years ago. My general rule is that no "antique" carpet, sold on the street, is over 30 years old. (In 2001, i saw a number of carpets lying on the road, here in kabul, to "roughen" them up with traffic.) 

Carpet buying and selling in the ME is a trade. You have to haggle everywhere. That's the true fun - with carpets. Make them work but accept the offers of tea or coffee and take your time and enjoy. The harder you both work, the more likely you are to strike a deal and most importantly, get the carpet you will love.

Good luck.


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## nicolasdxb (Oct 11, 2012)

Old Souk in Sharjah or global village


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## starlighting (Oct 18, 2012)

Don't miss the Global Village, Iran pavilion. Some of the rugs are absolutely fabulous. But I'm not sure it's open now or not yet.


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Last week of Global Village. You will get the deal from the guy who is about to go home.


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## samiraze (Nov 5, 2014)

Dubai1970 said:


> Hi - would be grateful for advice on where to buy Persian rugs at the best prices. The mall retailers will drop their prices by half with a little haggling, which if anything makes me more suspicious that they aren't the best bet for value or choice. Also - any tips on what to look for when purchasing rugs? I'm a novice at this. Many thanks


 Hi, I have 2 antique Caucasian handmade wool carpets (+- 100 years old) from my family. I brought them from Azerbaijan and now they are at my home. If you would like i can show them to you. Kind Regards, Samir /snip/


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

samiraze said:


> Hi, I have 2 antique Caucasian handmade wool carpets (+- 100 years old) from my family. I brought them from Azerbaijan and now they are at my home. If you would like i can show them to you. Kind Regards, Samir /snip/


Only paid premium members may advertise. You can use the PM facility after five messages. Please read the forum rules before posting again.


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## hubbly_bubbly (Oct 17, 2010)

That pulled the carpet from under his feet.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

hubbly_bubbly said:


> That pulled the carpet from under his feet.


Like it!!!


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## arabianhorse (Nov 13, 2013)

Persian rugs are over-rated IMO.

Give me clean timber floors any day.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I love me a Persian rug against a wood floor. That's what my parents had. 

I have a few, picked up in the UK. The old ones are the best. The new ones are rubbish, especially the flowery patterns. Word to the wise, never buy Persians in the Middle East. You will be royally ripped off. The UAE has a very limited selection of proper Persians as most people here seem to prefer the newer crap, hardly anything comparable to the great tribal Persians from a hundred years ago.

But Miri at the Dubai Mall has wonderful new rugs modeled after the old Persians of yore. It's too bad they're so (but deservedly) expensive. 



arabianhorse said:


> Persian rugs are over-rated IMO.
> 
> Give me clean timber floors any day.


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## hubbly_bubbly (Oct 17, 2010)

TallyHo said:


> I love me a Persian rug against a wood floor. That's what my parents had.
> 
> I have a few, picked up in the UK. The old ones are the best. The new ones are rubbish, especially the flowery patterns. Word to the wise, never buy Persians in the Middle East. You will be royally ripped off. The UAE has a very limited selection of proper Persians as most people here seem to prefer the newer crap, hardly anything comparable to the great tribal Persians from a hundred years ago.
> 
> But Miri at the Dubai Mall has wonderful new rugs modeled after the old Persians of yore. It's too bad they're so (but deservedly) expensive.



Yes, a beautiful carpet on wooden floors really is a sight to behold.

I bought all my carpets in the ME and Afghanistan, (but never from the UAE or the UK), wiling away many an hour over brewed coffee and haggling the old men down. Damascus, sadly, used to be great for carpet buying.

There are some beautiful carpets, at the low end, like Belush, Tajik, Herat and alike. If silk is your thing - for what you pay extra in the UAE - get a tourist visa to Iran and buy there. Or go hunting in the Levant. Even Istanbul too.

Persian Carpet

You can still find good quality carpets. You just have to research and have a little of 1000 Arabian Night's magic carpet floating in your head. I'm sure there's even small wholesalers in Dubai, running family businesses from all around the ME.


Tip: Google fake silk/wool carpets for extra knowledge. There's plenty of crap out there.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Interestingly, I've got a friend staying with me at the moment who lived here for many years. She has several carpets of good quality and recently took them to be professionally cleaned and packed because she's in the process of moving home. The company valued them for her and they were worth less than they cost when purchased here. Apparently, they're more expensive to buy in the region than they are in NZ!


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I'm not surprised.

When I first came here I had visions of building up a collection of persians (as well as Afghani, Uzbeki and Caucasian rugs). But I was disappointed. They are ridiculously expensive here and the local Arabs seem to strongly prefer the new Persians, which are not the same as the old tribal Persians we're familiar with in the West, and they will pay top prices. I've come across two stores in the UAE that do offer the older rugs, one in Satwa and one shop in the Blue Souk in Sharjah, but the prices they ask or are willing to negotiate down to are much higher than what you'd find at a proper rug auction in the UK. The UK is actually a great place to buy rugs as people have been importing rugs to Britain for hundreds of years and you find them easily enough in local auction houses, and the same is true in the US and Australia/NZ. The higher end rug auctions at Christies/Sotheby's/Bonhams in London are among the best in the world. 

Damascus (as Hubbly pointed out) used to be a great centre for buying Persians as Iranians would go to Damascus on a holiday and bring old family rugs to sell. Unfortunately that's out of the question for now. I've bought a rug in Turkey whilst on holiday and picked up several good pieces in Uzbekistan. The problem is that the art of weaving rugs is dying out and the regional tribes that used to weave their distinctive patters are no longer doing so. My favourite Persians are the Malayers followed by the Herats, then the Turkish rugs, but as with anything the quality and aesthetics do vary greatly. 

However, the UAE is a good place to buy Pakistani rugs. They will cost more here than in Pakistan but it's not too bad. 




BedouGirl said:


> Interestingly, I've got a friend staying with me at the moment who lived here for many years. She has several carpets of good quality and recently took them to be professionally cleaned and packed because she's in the process of moving home. The company valued them for her and they were worth less than they cost when purchased here. Apparently, they're more expensive to buy in the region than they are in NZ!


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## hubbly_bubbly (Oct 17, 2010)

Stay on the hunt, TallyHo. 

"What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well." - The Little Prince.

I think (and feel) the same way about carpets, even if I don't another 'till old age. There will be a gem out there, somewhere, just waiting for me.

Or this: 

"It comes down to whether you feel good about the price you are paying, whether it is $200 or the $200,000. You want to be able to walk into your room, see that rug, and just feel really good about it. And if you know it’s good wool (or silk), good dyes, and good woven construction, and it was in the budget you had for the piece, and you like the person who sold it to you… then it’s worth what you paid for. Even if others would not pay that for it."


Buying rugs. Tips for the nervous rug shopper. RugChick.com


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## rachil1 (Nov 10, 2014)

Decoration with rugs has a lot advantages. Not only it provides a warmth ambiance but it can also be used to separate areas if you wish to do so. Persian rugs have been appreciated for their intricate carvings and floral designs with a gaudy border. Although they are a bit expensive but pure wool made rug is just like an investment. The older it gets the more price you'll get when you sell it.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Wrong.

Persians do not automatically gain value the older it is. A few may do. Most really won't, or just keep up with inflation. Lots of dealers like to claim this but it's fraudelent. As with anything collectable, Persians are subject to the whims of fashion and go through cycles of desirability and availability, which heavily influence the prices. Persians are not highly desirable these days. 

Go to any decent rug auction and you can walk out with a Persian for thousands less than the previous owner paid. 

Never, never, never ever view rugs as an investment. They are things you collect because you enjoy them and being surrounded by them. But an investment? No.



rachil1 said:


> Although they are a bit expensive but pure wool made rug is just like an investment. The older it gets the more price you'll get when you sell it.


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