Ardelan (Är-de-lan'). A province in Western Persia in the Kurdish district. It furnishes the highest grade of rugs.
Armenia (Är-me'ni-Ä) is situated partly in Transcaucasia, partly in Persia, and partly in Turkey in Asia. On the west it is bounded by the Black Sea, Asia Minor, and the Taurus Mountains; on the south by Mesopotamia, and on the east by Persia, while on the north it extends almost to the Caucasian Mountains. It is a mountainous country and gives rise to nearly all of the great rivers of Western Asia. It is a country of special interest to the world inasmuch as it is supposed to have been "the cradle of the human race," the Garden of Eden, in all probability, having been located among its mountains near the head of the river Euphrates, and it also contains the celebrated Mount Masis, better known as Ararat, upon which the Ark of Noah rested when the waters of the great flood subsided. It has an area of more than 70,000 square miles, but the population is less than two and one-half millions.
Asia Minor. That part of Turkey in Asia bounded on the east by Kurdistan and Persia, on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, on the north by the Black Sea, and on the south by Arabia, the Mediterranean and Red Seas. It is sometimes known as Anatolia.
Askabad (Äs-kÄ-bÄd'). A town in Persia peopled by wandering Turkoman tribes who make numerous rugs of the usual Persian variety. A name sometimes used by retailers, but it has no commercial meaning. The Tekke rugs are usually marketed at Askabad.
Axar, see Ak Hissar.
Azerbijan (Äz-er-bi-jÄn'), Azerbiajan, Aserbaijan. An agricultural province in Northwestern Persia, bordering on Lake Urumiah, of which Tabriz is the principal city. It covers 40,000 square miles and has a population of 1,000,000. Many fine rugs come from this province.
B
Bagdad (Bag'dad). The name implies "Abode of Peace." The name of a province and a city of Mesopotamia on the Tigris. The province covers 54,503 square miles and has a population of 850,000. The city has a population of 145,000 and is a market for the products of Western Persia.Bakhshis, Bakshaish. A small village east of Tabriz in the Herez district. A great rug centre for the so-called Herez rugs. See Persian classification.
Bakshaish, see Bakhshis.
Baku (BÄ-kÖ'). The name signifies "Place of the Winds." A province and a city. The former covers an area of 15,095 square miles and has a population of 790,000. The latter is a port on the Caspian Sea in the heart of the Russian petroleum district with a population of 112,000. Many Caucasian rugs are marketed here. For description of the so-called Baku rugs, see Caucasian classification.
Beluchistan (Be-loo' chis-tan), Baluchistan, Beloochistan, Belloch. A mountainous and desert country bounded by Persia on the west, Afghanistan on the north, India on the east, and the Arabian Sea on the south. It has an area of about 130,000 square miles and has a population of about 800,000. For description of the Beluchistan rug, see page 296.
Bergama (Ber'gÄ-mÄ), Bergamo, Berghama, Pergamo. A city in Anatolia, forty miles north of Smyrna. Pergamo was the ancient name. For description of the so-called Bergama rug, see Turkish classification.Bijar (Be-zhÄr'). A town in Western Persia in the province of Kurdistan. The Bijar rug is sometimes known as the Sarakhs or Lule.
Birjand. The so-called Birjand rugs are woven in the village of Daraksh, about fifty miles northeast of Birjand.
Bokhara (Bo-khÄ' rÄ). Meaning "Treasury of Science." A city of Russian Turkestan. It is the capital of the khanate by the same name. This province has an area of 142,000 square miles with a population of less than half. For description of Bokhara rugs, see Turkoman classification.
Brousa (BrÖ' sÄ), Brusa. A city in the northern part of Anatolia near the sea of Marmora. It is the capital of the province by the same name and has a population of 76,000.
C
Cabistan, see Kabistan.
CÆsarea, see Kaisariyeh.
Carabagh, see Karabagh.
Carian, see Meles.
Cashmere, see Shemakha.
Catechu (Kat' e-chu). A dry, brown, astringent extract, obtained by decoction and evaporation from the acacia catechu. From it a brown dye is frequently obtained.
Caucasus (KÄ-ka' sus). An isthmus joining Europe and Asia. It is bounded on the west by the Black Sea, and on the east by the Caspian Sea. The Caucasian Mountains extend through it from its northwestern to its southeastern extremity, dividing it into two parts, Caucasia proper to the north and Transcaucasia to the south. It has an area of over 180,000 square miles and the population is over nine million.
Chichi, see Tchetchen.
Circassian (Ser-kash-an), see Tcherkess.
Cyrus. Founder of the ancient Persian monarchy.
D
Daghestan (DÄ' ges-tan). A district in Russian Caucasia on the Caspian Sea, north of Baku. It covers 11,352 square miles and has a population of 587,000. For description of the so-called Daghestan rug, see Caucasian classification.
Demirdji (Da-mer' ji). Means "ironsmith" or "blacksmith." A city of Anatolia.
Derbend (Der-bent'), Derbent, meaning "a fortified gate." A city in the province of Daghestan on the Caspian Sea. The inhabitants are mostly Tartar. For description of Derbend rugs, see Caucasian classification.
Djidjum, see Ghileem.
Djijum, see Ghileem.
Djoshaghan, see Joshaghan.
E
Elizabethpol. Name of a province and a fortified city, the latter of which was formerly known as Ganga.
Enile, Inely. One of the better type of rugs woven at Oushak.
F
Fars (FÄrs), see Farsistan.Farsistan or Fars (FÄr-sis-tan'). A province in Northwestern Persia with a population of 1,700,000, composed mostly of the wandering Arabs and Kashkais, who make high-class rugs of the softest and best dyed wool. Shiraz is the leading town.
Feraidan. A Persian district ruled by Ispahan. The rugs made there are woven in imitation of the Feraghan quality.
Feraghan (Fer' Ä-hÄn). A district in Persia near Sultanabad. For description of the so-called Feraghan rugs, see Persian classification.
G
Ganga. A Caucasian city ninety miles southeast of Tiflis. Now known as Elizabethpol.
Garous. A district in Persia producing a good quality of rugs.Genghis (Jen' gis), Guenja, Ganga, Guenje, Guendjie. The name of a tribe of Nomads living in the vicinity of Elizabethpol.Ghileem, Khilim, Killim, Kilim (Kee'-lum). Names given to a napless rug which is woven in nearly all of the Oriental rug-weaving countries. A full description may be found in the chapter on Ghileems, page 311.
Guenja, see Genghis.
Gulestan. Meaning "The Rose Garden," name applied to one of the better type of rugs woven at Oushak.
H
Hamadan (HÄ-mÄ-dÄn'), Hamadie, Hamidieh. A city in Northwestern Persia, southwest of Sultanabad, with a population of 35,000. It is the ancient Ekbatana where Esther and Mordecai were buried. For description of Hamadan rugs, see Persian classification.
Hamideh, see Hamadan.Hardjli, or Princess Bokhara. The name given to a rug made by the Tekke Turkomans. It usually consists of a design of a cross inclosed in a square.
Herat (Her-Ät') is the capital of Afghanistan, on the Persian border, and its principal trade is with Meshed. For description of Herat rugs, see Persian classification.
Herez (He' rees), Heriz, Heres. A mountainous district in Northwestern Persia. For description of Herez rugs, see Persian classification.
I
Inely, see Enile.
Irak Ajemi (E-rÄk' Äj' e-me). The largest province in Persia. It is situated in the central part of the country, its largest city being Teheran, the Persian capital.
Iran (E' ran). The Persian name for Persia. A name commonly and wrongfully given to rugs, excepting in referring to Persian rugs in general.
Ispahan (Is' pÄ-hÄn), meaning "Place of Horses." A city of 80,000 inhabitants in the commercial heart of Persia. At one time it was its capital. For description of Ispahan rugs, see Persian classification.
J
Jejium, see Ghileem.
Jelium, see Ghileem.
Jhelum, see Ghileem.
Jooshaghan, see Joshaghan.
Joshaghan, Jooshaghan. A district in Persia, south of Feraghan. For description of Joshaghan rugs, see Persian classification.
K
Kaba-Karaman, see Karaman.Kabistan (Kab' is-tan), Cabistan. The name given to rugs woven near Kuba on the shores of the Caspian Sea.Kaisariyeh, Kaisarieh, Kaiseriyeh. The CÆsarea of the Bible. An Anatolian city of 72,000 population, about one hundred and sixty miles southeast of Angora. An important rug market.Karaman (Ka-rÄ-mÄn'). A town in Turkey, southeast of Konieh. The name Kaba-Karaman is frequently applied to a class of rugs from this town. The meaning of the prefix Kaba is "coarse." For description of Karaman rugs, see Turkish classification.Karabagh (Ka-rÄ-bÄ'), Carabagh, Shemakinski, "Country of the Sun." A province in the southern part of Transcaucasia, just north of Tabriz. For description of Karabagh rugs, see Caucasian classification.
Kara Dagh (Ka-rÄ-dÄ). Meaning "Black Mountains," mountains in Persia, north of Tabriz.
Karajah Dagh (Ka-rÄ-jÄ' dÄ). One of the principal rug-making districts of Turkey in Asia.
Kashan (Ka'chan). City of Persia with 30,000 inhabitants. Located half way between Teheran and Ispahan. For description of Kashan rugs, see Persian classification.
Kashmir, see Shemakha.
Kazak (KÄ-zak'), Kazack. A corruption of the word Cossack. Kazak rugs are made by the Russian Cossack tribes in Transcaucasia near Mt. Ararat. For description of these rugs, see Caucasian classification.
Kerman, see Kirman.Karmanshah (Ker-mÄn-shÄ'), Kirmanshah. A city of mud houses in the Ardelan district of Western Persia. It has a population of some 40,000 and is a centre of commerce, but no rugs are woven there. The so-called Kermanshah rugs come from Tabriz. For description of these rugs, see Persian classification.
Kermes. An insect found upon oak trees about the Mediterranean from which a rich, fast carmine dye is obtained.
Ker Shehr, see Kir Shehr.
Khilim, see Ghileem.Khiva (Ke'vÄ). A principality or khanate in Turkestan. It covers 23,166 square miles and has a population of 800,000. Khiva Bokhara is the proper name for the so-called Afghan rugs, as these rugs are woven mostly by the Nomadic tribe of Khiva. For a description of these rugs, see Turkestan classification.
Khorasan (Ko' rÄ-sÄn). A large province in the northern corner of Persia, of which Meshed is the capital. For description of Khorasan rugs, see Persian classification.
Kilim, see Ghileem.
Killim, see Ghileem.Kirman (Kir' mÄn). Name of a city and a province in Southeastern Persia. The latter has an area of over 63,000 square miles, has 600,000 population, and is largely a desert. For a description of the so-called Kirman rugs, see Persian classification.
Kirmanshah, see Kermanshah.Kir Shehr (Kir Shehr'), Ker Shehr, Keer Shehr, Keer Sherir. A Turkish town in the province of Angora, just over the Konieh border. For description of the so-called Kir Shehr rugs, see Turkish classification.Kis, meaning "A girl." Kis Ghileem is the name applied to dowry rugs woven by young girls.
Kiz, see Kis.
Koniah, see Konieh.Konieh (Ko' ne-Ä). The ancient Iconium. A city of Anatolia with a population of 44,000. Capital of province by the same name which covers 39,681 square miles and has a population of 1,088,000. For description of the so-called Konieh rugs, see Turkish classification.
Koulah, see Kulah.
Koultuk, see Zangen.
Kuba (Koo' bÄ). Name of a village and a district in Transcaucasia under the Baku government. Kabistan rugs are woven here.Kulah (Koo' lÄ), Koulah. A city in Turkey, west of Oushak. For description of the so-called Kulah rugs, see Turkish classification.
Kurd (Koord). An inhabitant of Kurdistan.
Kurdistan (Koor' dis-tÄn). A region occupying the eastern part of Turkey in Asia, and the western part of Persia. It has an area of about 74,000 square miles and a population of 3,000,000.
Kurk. A very soft wool obtained by combing the sheep in winter.
Kutayah, Kutaria, Kutaya, Kutchia (Ko-ti-ya). A city of Anatolia in the Province of Brousa, about sixty miles north of Oushak, with a population of 22,000.
L
Ladik (LÄ-dÄk), Ladic, Laodicea, Latakia. Name of a rug made in the ancient village of Laodicea in Anatolia, northeast of Konieh. See Turkish classification.
Laodicea (La-od-i-ce' Ä), Latakia. An ancient village of Anatolia, northeast of Konieh, with a population of 22,000. The so-called Ladik rug comes from here.Laristan (LÄr-is-tÄn'), see Niris. A mountainous province in Western Persia.Lule (Lu' la). A corruption of the Persian word "roulez," meaning "jewel." A term frequently applied to Bijar rugs.
Luristan, see Laristan.
M
Madder. A dye made from the root of the "rubia tinctorum." From it are made a multitude of reds.
Mahal (MÄ' hÄl). A name given to a class of rugs from Sultanabad. See Persian classification.
Maksoud. The name of the weaver of the celebrated Ardebil carpet, which is in the South Kensington Museum.
Mecca, or Mekka (Mek' kÄ), "The Heart of Islam." The holy city of the Mohammedans containing the Caaba, visited annually by multitudes of pilgrims. It has a population of 60,000. The name is frequently applied by retailers to Shiraz rugs.
Melace, see Meles.Meles (Me' las). The name given to rugs produced in the Smyrna district. A corruption of the word Milassa, a small town about one hundred miles south of Smyrna. See Turkish classification.
Meshed (Mesh-hed'), Meshad. Capital of the province of Khorasan in Northeastern Persia with a population of 70,000. For description of the so-called Meshed rugs, see Persian classification.
Mesopotamia. Consists of that triangular portion of the southeastern part of Turkey in Asia which lies between the Tigris and the Euphrates. It has an area of 131,000 square miles and a population of only six million.
Milassa. A town in Anatolia on the coast, about one hundred miles south of Smyrna.
Mir (Mir). A village in the district of Sarawan, where it is said that the Mir or Mir Saraband design originated.
Miskabad, see Mushkabad.
Mosul, Mossoul, Mousoul. A city of Mesopotamia on the Tigris. Kurdish tribes market their rugs here. For a description of the so-called Mosul rug, see Turkish classification.
Mushkabad (Mus-ka-bad), Miskabad. A name given to a class of Sultanabad products. See Persian classification.
N
Niris, Laristan, Luristan. Name applied to rugs made by the hillmen in the uplands around the salt lake of Niris in Laristan. See Persian classification.
O
Ouchak, see Oushak.Oushak (Oo'shÄk), Oocuak, Ushak. A city of Anatolia, in the province of Aidin, about one hundred miles east of Smyrna.
It has a population of 100,000 and is one of the greatest rug centres in Anatolia. For description of the so-called Oushak rugs, see Turkish classification.
P
Para (Pa-rÄ'). Piece of Turkish money equivalent to about one mill of American money.
Pergamon (Per' gÄ-mon), Pergamos. The name of the ancient Greek Kingdom in the northeastern part of Asia Minor, which is now known as Bergama.
Persia. A kingdom of Southwestern Asia occupying the western half of the Iranian plateau, which rises to the height of from six to eight thousand feet between the valleys of the Indus and the Tigris. It has an area of more than a million square miles and a population of over eight million inhabitants. The capital is Teheran.
Piaster (Pi-as' t?r). A piece of Turkish money equal to less than four cents of our money.
Princess Bokhara, see Hardjli.
R
Roulez. Persian word meaning "jewel." See Lule.
S
Samarkand (Sam' Är-kÄnd), Samarcand, "The Head of Islam." Name of province and city in Russian Turkestan. The former with an area of 26,627 square miles, and a population of 858,000; the latter is a very interesting city with a population of 55,000. For description of the so-called Samarkand rugs, see Turkestan classification.Saraband (Sar' Ä-band), Serebend, Selville. Names given to a class of rugs woven at Sarawan, a district in Persia just south of Feraghan. See Persian classification.
Sarak, see Sarakhs.Sarakhs (SÄ-rÄks'). A frontier town of 10,000 inhabitants in the northeastern corner of Persia on the Tijend River. See Bijar.
Sarawan (Sa' rÄ-wÄn). A district of Persia just south of Feraghan. See Saraband.
Sarouk, see Saruk.Saruk (SÄ-rook'), Sarouk. A village in the district of Feraghan, not far from Sultanabad. See Persian classification.
Savalan (Sa' vÄ-lÄn). The name of a mountain in Azerbijan province. A name often given in the American market to products of Sultanabad. For description of the so-called Savalan rugs, see Sultanabad, under the Persian classification.
Sedjedes, means a small rug.
Sehna, see Senna.
Selville, see Saraband.Senna (Sen' nÄ), Sehna, Sinneh, Sinn. A city in Western Persia just north of Hamadan. Here rugs are made which are quite different from those made anywhere else in the Orient. See Persian classification.
Serab, see Sirab.
Serapi (Se-rap' e), Serab, Sirab. Name applied to some of the Herez rugs. See Persian classification.
Seraband, see Saraband.
Shah Abbas (Sha-Abbas). A popular Persian ruler of the 16th century. His name has been given to a favorite design which originated during his reign.
Sharokh, see Bijar.Shemakha (She' mÄ-kÄ), Shemka, Shemaka, Cashmere, Kashmir, Soumak. All names given to a class of pileless rugs which are woven by the Nomadic tribes of Shirvan, near the town of Shemakha, a manufacturing town of the Baku district, Transcaucasia, with a population of 20,000. See Caucasian classification.
Sheraz, see Shiraz.Shiraz (She-raz'). A manufacturing and commercial town in the Fars district with a population of 32,000. It was the former capital of Persia. Shiraz rugs are sometimes erroneously called Mecca rugs. See Persian classification.
Shirvan (Shir' van). The name of a city and a khanate in Russian Caucasia, just west of the Caspian Sea and along the southern slope of the Caucasian Mountains. Shirvan rugs are woven here. See Caucasian classification.
Sinna, see Senna.Sibab (Si-rÄb'), Serab. A village in the Herez district in Northern Persia. Serapi, a name applied to some of the Herez products, is a corruption of the name Sirab.
Sivas (Se-vÄs'), The name of a city and a province in Northern Asia Minor, south of the Black Sea; the former with a population of 43,000 and the latter with a population of 1,087,000 and an area of 24,240 square miles.
Smyrna (Smer' nÄ). Province and city of Eastern Anatolia. The former has an area of 20,844 square miles and a population of 1,397,000. The city has a population of 201,000 and is an important rug market, but not a centre of weaving. For description of so-called Smyrna rugs, see Turkish classification.
Soumak, see Shemakha.
Souj Bulak (Souge Bu' lÄk). The name of an old Kurdish capital on the border south of Tabriz. For a description of the so-called Souj Bulak rug, see Persian classification.
Sultanabad (Sul-tan' Ä-bÄd). A city in Persia about one hundred and sixty miles east of Kermanshah. It has a population of 25,000 and is the centre of rug weaving under European control. Rugs from this district are known as Sultanabad, Savalan, Muskabad, and Mahal. See Persian classification.
T
Tabriz (Ta-breez'), Tabreez, "Pinnacle of Islam." A commercial city of the province of Azerbijan in the northwest corner of Persia. It is an important centre of rug weaving, and has a population of 180,000. For a description of the so-called Tabriz rug, see Persian classification.
Talim. A drawn or painted copy used by weavers indicating the pattern which they are to weave.Tchechen, see Tchetchen.Tcherkess, or Circassia. A province in Northwestern Caucasia on the Black Sea, once peopled by a tribe which has become almost extinct.Tchetchen, Tchechen, Tzitzi, Chichi. A tribe of wandering shepherds who inhabit the mountains north of Daghestan. They make a good quality of rugs. See Caucasian classification.
Teheran (Te' he-rÄn), "The Pure." The present capital of Persia, with a population of 160,000 in summer and 250,000 in winter.
Tekke Bokhara (Te' kÄ Bo-khÄ' rÄ). The name of a rug woven by the Tekke Turkoman tribes who inhabit the country along the Transcaspian Railroad from Askabad to Merv. See Turkestan classification.
Tiflis. The capital of Transcaucasia, next to Constantinople, is the greatest rug market in the world, especially for the Caucasian products. It has a population of 161,000, mostly Armenians, Georgians, and Russians. It is said that more than seventy languages are spoken here.
Tjoshaghan, see Joshaghan.
Toman (To' man). A piece of Turkish money equivalent to about $0.91 of our money.
Transcaucasia. That part of Russian Caucasia south of the Caucasian Mountains.
Turkestan is an immense territory lying east of the Caspian. It is bounded on the south by Persia, Afghanistan, and China, on the east by China, and on the north by Asiatic Russia. It is divided into Russian Turkestan on the north with an area of 257,134 square miles and a population of nearly four millions; Eastern or Chinese Turkestan with an area of 550,579 and a population of 1,200,000; and Turkestan proper on the south, which also belongs to Russia. The rug centres are Samarkand of the northern district, Kashgar, Yarkand, and Khotan of the eastern district, and Bokhara and Khiva of the southern district.
Turkey in Asia. Comprises Anatolia, Syria, the coast of Arabia bordering on the Red Sea, Armenia, and Mesopotamia. A medley of races and religions.
Turkoman (Turk' o-man). Rugs from Turkestan proper and generally grouped under the name Turkoman.
Turkman, see Genghis.
Tzitzi. A corruption of the word Tchetchen.
V
Valonia. The husk of a certain kind of acorn which is used for dyeing.
Y
Yamud, see Yomud.
Yarkand (YÄr' kand). A city of Eastern Turkestan. An important trade centre with a population of 60,000. For description of the so-called Yarkand rug, see Turkestan classification.
Yezd (YÄzd), "City of Light." Capital of the province by the same name with a population of 55,000.Yomud (YÄ'mud), Yamud, Yamund, Yamut, Yamund. Names applied to a class of rugs which are woven just east of the Caspian Sea by the Yomud Turkomans. See Turkestan classification.
Youraghan, see Joshaghan.
Yourdez, see Ghiordes.
Yuruk (Yu-ruk'), Youruck, Yourouk. The word means mountaineer. Also the name given to a class of rugs woven by a certain mountain shepherd tribe of Anatolia. See Turkish classification.
Z
Zanjan (Zan-jan'). A town in the northwest corner of the province of Irak Ajemi, Persia. Rugs from this vicinity are called either Zangan or Koultuk.
