Zanjan rugs: Hamadan-type village rugs of the north-west

Location

Zanjan is a province and city on the main road from Tehran to Tabriz. Its villages produce mostly practical rugs for local and export markets.

Designs

Bold central medallions, stepped corners and Kurdish or Hamadan-like geometry are common, often in red, navy and ivory.

Construction

Many use symmetric knots and a single weft on a cotton foundation, close to Hamadan village construction.

Zanjan versus Hamadan

The two are hard to separate. Some Zanjan rugs show stronger Kurdish influence, but sellers often use the names interchangeably.

Buying checklist

• Ask the seller what the regional name is based on: town, village group or design only
• Turn the rug over and look at knot type, warp colour and weft count
• Check ends, sides and pile height for wear or re-weaving
• Ask whether dyes have run or been chemically washed
• Get any claim about age, region or handmade origin in writing

Care

These are sturdy everyday rugs. Watch edges and ends, which wear first on single-weft builds.

A note on this guide

This is general information from the CraftPersia editorial team and has not been reviewed by a specialist. Regional names in the rug trade are market labels, and design alone is weak evidence of origin. This guide is not a valuation or authentication.