Description
Egyptian Oushak rugs originate from the Alexandria region of Egypt, made by the villagers led by Hanni. The designs of these Egyptian rugs all stem from Turkish Oushak and Persian Mahal rugs. These rugs are characterized by their less formal patterns and muted earth tones. The knotting technique is the same as the Turkish weaving, but the quality of the wool is extremely fine and silky. Those vegetable dyes most commonly used are madder, the root of a spindly bush which grows abundantly in many carpet-producing area which is used to create a red color. Walnut peel is used for dark brown, pomegranate peel for light brown, and sparak which is a wild flower from the steppes, used for yellow.
Herat Oriental works with over 2,000 village weavers to create beautiful, authentic, handmade rugs. The majority of the weavers are women, who live in the villages of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Persia and India. As we grow, we are able to create more jobs for female weavers who otherwise would not have the opportunity to do so. The community also thrives from rug weaving as the local farmers benefit from wool sales, and the local artisans create natural and vegetable dyes for the weavers to use in their designs. Due to the handmade nature of our rugs, the size may vary from as advertised by 3-4 inches. Regular vacuuming and annual professional cleaning will keep your rug looking new for years to come.
