Collector guide · 10 min
Heriz rugs: geometric style, durability and dating
Editorial team · updated 2026-09-29
What is a Heriz rug?
A Heriz rug is a hand-knotted carpet from the Heriz area east of Tabriz. Village weavers there interpret city designs in a bold, angular style, usually woven from memory rather than a cartoon.
Style
The typical Heriz has a large angular medallion, straight-edged corner pieces and wide borders in brick red, navy, ivory and rust. Designs look geometric even when based on floral originals.
Why they are durable
Heriz weavers use thick, lustrous local wool, which is rich in copper minerals, and a heavy cotton foundation. Pile is often medium-thick. Heriz rugs are famous for surviving heavy traffic for generations.
Related names
Serapi, Bakshaish, Gorevan, Mehriban and Ahar are villages or trade names within the wider Heriz group. Serapi usually refers to older, lighter-coloured pieces.
Dating roughly
Older Heriz rugs tend to have softer, more varied natural colours, finer drawing and more abrash. Later pieces are often more uniform. Dating needs close inspection; treat dealer ages as estimates.
Related photographs
Representative photographs, not of any specific catalogued object. Sources on the credits page.