The carpets of the last king

by Hesam Keshavarz

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was the last king (Shah) of Iran. He and his wife, Farah Diba, were patrons of arts and their palaces were all equipped with Persian carpets.

One of their palaces, the Saadabad complex, is located in the northern part of Tehran. This palace is equipped with many carpets woven in different regions of Iran representing the rich heritage of the Persian carpets.

One of the greatest buildings in the Saadabad complex is the white Marmar Palace (Palace of Marble) with it’s traditional architectural style. First time visitors at the Marmar Palace will be surprised by the large number of Persian carpets in very great sizes, and among them an extremely large Kerman carpet with a surface of 121 square-meters.

Silk Kashan carpet, silk warp and pile, weft of cotton, natural dye, 63 square-meters, asymmetrical knot — Kashan silk carpet, silk warp and pile, weft of cotton, natural dye, 63 square-meters, asymmetrical knot

The border of the silk Kashan carpet — The border of the Kashan silk carpet

Probably a Kashan carpet, wool pile, cotton warp and weft, about 50 square-meters, the first half of 20th century.

Detail of the Kashan carpet rug above. — Detail of the Kashan carpet above.

Kerman rug, warp and weft cotton, wool pile, asymmetrical knot, end of 19th century. — The Kerman rug, cotton warp and weft, wool pile, asymmetrical knot, end of 19th century.

Kashan rug, warp and weft cotton, wool pile, asymmetrical knot, end of 19th century. — Kashan carpet, cotton warp and weft, wool pile, asymmetrical knot, end of 19th century.

Hesam Keshavarz in front of a — Hesam Keshavarz in front of the dining hall and a 50 square-meters Mashad carpet (cotton warp and weft, wool pile, symmetrical knot, early 20th century.

Hesam Keshavarz, Shahed University of Tehran Faculty of Arts