راهنمای خرید · 11 min
Why Persian rugs cost so much: labour, knots, fibre, age
Editorial team · بهروزرسانی 2026-09-29
The short answer
A hand-knotted Persian rug is expensive because of labour. Every knot is tied by hand, and a fine rug can hold millions of knots. One weaver may spend many months, sometimes years, on a single piece. Materials, design work, finishing, age and trade costs add to the price.
Labour and knot density
More knots per square centimetre mean finer detail and far more hours. A coarse village rug and a fine city rug of the same size can differ several times in weaving time.
Materials
Hand-spun wool, silk and natural dyes cost more and take longer to prepare than machine-spun wool and synthetic dyes. Silk pile is the most expensive.
Design and finishing
City rugs are woven from drawn cartoons by skilled designers. After weaving, rugs are washed, clipped, stretched and finished — each step adds cost.
Age, condition and rarity
Antique rugs in good condition, rare types and pieces by named workshops command higher prices. Damage, repairs and heavy wear lower them.
Trade costs
Transport, import rules, dealer margins and exchange rates all affect the final price outside Iran. Prices here are general factors only, not a valuation.