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Persian Gonbad Rugs

General Information & Pictures

Dear Visitor,
I have added these pages to my website to show you some of the common designs in Persian rugs. Among the hardest to find and very popular design in Persian rugs is the Gonbad pattern, which is also referred as the dome shaped design. The Gonbad design is inspired by the inside ceilings of large buildings such as bazaars and mosques, which typically feature colorful and geometric ceilings with very detailed artwork or tiles. This popular design typically comes in several different Gonbad pattern and below you will see a few examples and some added insight.

History of the Gonbad Designs in Persian Architecture

The Gonbad design has been found in middle eastern architecture going back well over 2000 years and even though you may not have heard of its name, the design pattern will become obvious when you see it in real life. Here are a few examples of places where it is common to see it in the ceilings and the facade of famous places.

The Gonbad design got its start in Persian rugs around the early 1980's by the weavers in Tabriz and would often feature this symmetric dome pattern in very fine Tabriz rugs. While at the start the majority of Gonbad Persian rugs were Tabriz rugs, the popularity of the Gonbad design has led to it becoming also presents in other types of fine Persian rugs like the Nain, Isfahan, Qum and Kashmir carpets. Please note though that due to the difficulty in weaving geometric designs like the Gonbad design, only a small percentage of weavers have the skills to make rugs with this design and it is common to find this design in only high quality Persian rugs.

The Gonbad design was first popularized in Persian rugs by the weavers in Tabriz and as a result, the majority of Gonbad Persian rugs are Tabriz rugs like the three examples above. Even though the design is now being copied by many other weavers and is now also found in Indian and Chinese rugs, the most classic example of the geometric design is found in high quality Tabriz rugs. Due to the difficulty in weaving geometric designs like the Gonbad design, only a small percentage of weavers have the skills to make rugs with this design and it is common to find this design in only high quality Persian rugs.

Example of Variations in Gonbad Design: Leaf Design

10x10 70raj silk square gonbad tabriz rug

This variation of the Gonbad design is by far the most popular pattern that I'm fortunate to be to offer and the leaf design is also popular in other types of Persian rugs such as the pure silk Qum rugs at at times in high quality Nain rugs. As you can see in the pictures, the pattern starts out in the center with a round medailion and then works its way out with the leaf pattern that become larger as you move away from the center. This Gonbad design is by far the most challenging one to make as the attention to symmetry is an absolute priority and the weaver has to be extremely well trained to achieve the proper look.

Example of Variations in Gonbad Design: Various other Designs

With the growing competion from rug manufacturers in India and elsewhere, some Gonbad weavers in Iran have decided to venture out and try out new variations and here are a few examples. These Gonbad inspired designs tend to be very hard to find and are typically only made by a handful of masterweavers who have the skills to make such amazing Persian rugs. While the geometric designs is obvious in all of these masterpieces, a great deal of attention is also given to the quality and workmanship. As a result, most of these rare Gonbad rugs are considered to be masterpieces and are often amongst the finest Persian rugs you will find.

As you can see in the examples above, the Gombad Persian rugs come in several designs, which are very similar and yet have subtle differences. If you were standing in a center of a large mosque or bazaar and looked up at the ceiling, you would typically find colorful tiles that are shaped very similar like you see in the design of the Persian rugs below. Unlike the more classical Gombad designs, there are no large colorful areas; instead there are diamond shaped leafs that get larger as you move away from the center. It almost resembles a bursting star. Both designs are ideally suited for round and square rugs, where the geometric design works best, but I have sold many in all shapes and sizes.
The quality of the Tabriz Gombad carpets typically start in the high end 50 Raj (~350 kpsi) and can go as high as 80 Raj (700+ kpsi) and I have not yet seen any in the lower quality range. The various Gonbad designs are also often found in pure silk Qom Persian rugs and at times in Nain and Isfahan carpets, although those are very rare. Considering that these are genuine handmade rugs, it is very hard to create this large geometric design where proper shape and dimensions are an absolute most. Since the rugs are made from one end to the next, the weaver has to be very skilled and careful to make sure that every piece is of the same size and shape, or else the pattern will not fit together. This is one of the reasons why these Gonbad carpets are only offered in high end qualities and are nowhere near as common as the regular Persian rugs.

Video about the Gonbad Design in Persian rugs

The 16 minute video I made for you will give you some added information about the Gonbad design, its history and examples of various Persian rugs with the Gonbad design.