Bakhtiar Persian Rug

West and south of Isfahan, on the slopes of the Zagros Mountains, live the Bakhtiari, a large and powerful people who have always played an important role in Persian history. Today, most live permanently settled in villages; only some still lead a semi-nomadic life, camping with their sheep flocks on the mountain plateaus in summer. The region on the eastern side of the Zagros Mountains is relatively fertile and has sufficient water resources. Interestingly, most rugs bearing the name Bakhtiari are made by villagers of Kurdish and Turkish origin who live in the Chahar Mahal area, in villages around Shahr-e Kord, the region’s commercial and administrative center. Sheep’s wool from the eastern Zagros has long, strong, lustrous fibers and is therefore an excellent material for rug making.