Bokhara Rugs: Textile Art

We welcome you to the Aviram Aziz Inc, your source for Antique and Decorative Rugs. Bokhara rugs are handmade textile works of art that interior designers and collectors love for their simple beauty and fine quality.  Bokhara, or sometimes Bukhara, is a large Uzbek city located in central Asian country of Uzbekistan. Tekke craftsmen, members of a nomadic tribe located in Turkmenistan, were the original creators of these ancient carpets.  The rugs were brought to the ancient city of Bokhara where they were sold or bartered in the Bokhara markets.  In fact, Bokhara was a major branch of the famous Silk Road antiquity trade route that brought goods from Asia to the Western world.  These rugs had a distinct pattern and quality and thus were named the Bokhara rugs. 

We are proud to carry a large selection of antique oriental rugs including Persian, Indian, Turkish, Caucasian, Chinese and European rugs. The original Bokhara rugs created by the Tekke tribe were made with wool warps.  However, modern craftsman from Pakistan and Iran followed similar patterns but used cotton as the principal fabric.  The rug designs are famous for their artistic geometric designs. The typical rug had a repetitive pattern using a design element called a gul.  A gul was often octagonal or round in shape and essentially represented a stylized flower.  Each rug had a unique gul that was repeated uniformly in many rows or columns.  Sometimes the guls are referred to as elephant feet due to their overall shape.  Originally, Tekke tribesman used natural or vegetable dyes, commonly reds, resulting in rich colors.  Modern craftsmen use synthetic dyes on the fibers to achieve the same richness in color seen in the original rugs.  The rugs tended to contain few colors to add to the overall richness and vibrancy.  In fact, finding a Bokhara rug with greater than five or six colors would be highly unusual.

Our selection of antique carpets varies in size from scatter to oversize, concentrating in Aubussons, Heriz and Serapi, Lavar and Kerman, Sarouk, Sultanabad, Tabriz, Oushak and Tapestries. Bokhara rugs have received world-wide fame for their simple and charming designs and beautiful red and tan colors.  These carpets are traditionally smaller than other rugs from Central Asia and were often distinct shapes and lengths.  It was not uncommon to see a Bokhara rug used on a long and narrow hallway.  The original wool weave was durable and hearty to provide warmth to a cold winter floor.  As more later craftsman from Pakistan adopted the Bokhara design patterns and prints, cotton weave was more economical for larger production although this new fabric did not take away from the overall quality of this hand woven craft.  Western markets particularly in Europe loved the design and adored there floors and often their walls with these textile masterpieces. 

Today, modern day interior designers and home decorators recommend adding these fine carpets to many different styles from Eastern to Traditional designs.  The classical colors of tan and deep red give a home a warm and comfortable feeling.  Bokhara rugs are known for being soft on one’s feet while adding a sense of culture and luxury.   In addition, the attractiveness of the simple geometric patterns creates a room detail and interest.  With newer materials and synthetic dyes the rugs are more affordable while maintaining a high level of luxury and comfort.  Bokhara rugs are textile works of art that can add splendor and fine design to any home.