Mahal Rugs & Carpets

The Sultanabad/Arak rug weaving area produces several grades of decorative carpets and in the middle lies Mahal. Below are the Mushkabad rugs, low quality carpets rarely seen in America and primarily destined for Middle Eastern markets. Above is the Sarouk rug, with high quality wool and a very firm and compact weave. These were intended for the American consumer. Off to the side are the antique Ziegler Sultanabad rugs. In the center are the Mahal rugs. ‘Mahal’ is originally Arabic for ‘place,’ but how the rug type got that name is obscure, but maybe from the village of Mahallat where formerly these antique carpets were woven. More recently it has been weaving Sarouks, a higher margin product. Today, most Mahal weavings emanate from Dulakhor and Farahan villages. The Mahal rug is a 20th century creation and most examples date from the 1920s. Often mistaken, the Ziegler style Sultanabad rugs are not the lineal ancestors to the Mahal rugs.

The Mahal carpet, and almost all are room size carpets rather than scatters or runners, is a "bazaar" carpet, woven with the intention to be sold in the local market by the villagers. A lesser number are ordered by the Arak dealers who supply dyed yarn, foundation thread, and patterns to the artisans in a putting-out system. [...]

The Sultanabad/Arak rug weaving area produces several grades of decorative carpets and in the middle lies Mahal. Below are the Mushkabad rugs, low quality carpets rarely seen in America and primarily destined for Middle Eastern markets. Above is the Sarouk rug, with high quality wool and a very firm and compact weave. These were intended for the American consumer. Off to the side are the antique Ziegler Sultanabad rugs. In the center are the Mahal rugs. ‘Mahal’ is originally Arabic for ‘place,’ but how the rug type got that name is obscure, but maybe from the village of Mahallat where formerly these antique carpets were woven. More recently it has been weaving Sarouks, a higher margin product. Today, most Mahal weavings emanate from Dulakhor and Farahan villages. The Mahal rug is a 20th century creation and most examples date from the 1920s. Often mistaken, the Ziegler style Sultanabad rugs are not the lineal ancestors to the Mahal rugs.

The Mahal carpet, and almost all are room size carpets rather than scatters or runners, is a "bazaar" carpet, woven with the intention to be sold in the local market by the villagers. A lesser number are ordered by the Arak dealers who supply dyed yarn, foundation thread, and patterns to the artisans in a putting-out system.

Antique rugs from Mahal are generally in allover patterns emphasizing the classic Persian repertoire of palmettes, curling vines, and attached flowers. The designs are closer and smaller than on the previous Persian Sultanabad carpets. There is less open space and more horror vacui filling every area of the field. The Herati, Gol Henai and Mina Khani designs appear in Persian Mahal carpets. The weavers work from memory or from cartoons, but medallion designs are less common as they are harder to weave. They do not use samplers (wagirehs). Weaving is done rapidly, with four weavers on a 9’ x 12’ carpet; a 9’ x 12’ foot room size rug usually takes less than two months. Most carpets are 9’ x 12’, a few 10’ x 14’, but almost none are 12' by 18' or larger. Antique Persian Mahal rugs that are in the oversized carpet format are valuable and were most likely commissioned for American and European nobles, as well as Persian magnates.

The wooden looms are vertical and are located in houses, not large factories. Usually two looms are in one house. The foundations are all cotton, with alternate warps undepressed, giving a flat back unlike the ribbed verso of antique rugs from Sarouk. The wefts are double and often dyed light blue. The knot count is about 6-7 horizontal by 7-8 vertical per square inch. The pile is clipped low, giving a relatively thin and flexible carpet. Antique Mahal carpets give good service, but they should be protected from heavy local traffic. The knot is the usual asymmetric knot (Persian knot) pulled to the left.

The dyes are generally good, with madder red for the fields and dark indigo blue for the border; the most popular combination. Ivory and dark blue grounds are also encountered, but light blue, green, yellow, and rose are rare in these Persian rugs. The colors are saturated, much more than on the antique Ziegler style Sultanabad rugs. There are about nine or ten distinct colors in a Mahal.

Mahal carpets constitute less than 20% of the Arak area production today. The revival of Persian markets under Reza Shah created an urban middle class who gravitated toward more finer and sophisticated carpets. The domestic market was previously a large consumer of Persian Mahal carpets.

Mahal carpets make excellent living room additions and their slightly rustic character well offsets almost any type of furniture. They are not as good for dining rooms as the movement of chair legs may induce spot wear; however, the allover design of antique rugs from Mahal makes them very attractive under a dining table. Since allover patterns constitute the vast majority of Mahal styles, there is plenty of variation and choice for the prospective buyer, more so than for Persian Sarouk rugs.