Afghan Rugs – All You Need to Know

Afghan rugs are a type of hand-woven rug, originating from Afghanistan. They are one of the least expensive hand-made rugs all around the world. Many Afghan refugees still hand-weave their rugs while in the refugee camps around Pakistan and Iran.

The rugs are made from wool, which is often dyed using vegetables or natural dye. There are many different patterns that are used but the most common is the repetitive octagonal pattern. A red background is extremely common too, even though there are many different colors used on Afghan rugs.

Due to the amount of people who make the Afghan rugs in refugee camps, many of these rugs are under the Pakistan or Iranian names. While the Afghan government is trying to do everything to stop this from happening, it is proving to be very difficult.

By working in Pakistan, many weavers have managed to mix Afghan and Pakistani patterns, which have created some very interesting and newer designs. It is also common for the Pakistani wool to be used too, which is of a higher quality. These high quality carpets can be expensive but there is less wear and tear and the carpets can gain in value over time.

The Afghan rugs are made by drawing over a canvas and then following the pattern with the correct coloring. Much of this is hand knotted or flat woven to help with quality. It can take around three days for a whole rug to be made. When the rug is finished, a thin piece of fabric is glued onto the back of the rug, which is the only way that the wool is held together. This glue is very high quality so that it does not wear away too much over time. Not all Afghan rugs will have fringes but those that do are formed naturally from the making process.

Afghan rugs can be bought all over the world and it is becoming popular for Afghans in all countries to make them wherever they are. They are still classed as Afghan rugs due to the design that they use. Many local carpeting stores will have Afghan rugs at a reasonable price while the more smaller stores will sell them for much more. They can also be sold on the Internet but it is important to check with the seller to ensure that they are real Afghan rugs and not the cheaper copies.