A Brief History of Rugs and Carpets

Rugs and carpets have a rich history, only part of which is known. Ancient rugs are very rare because the earliest rugs were made of organic fibers. Organic fibers disintegrate speedily over time, thus preservation over thousands of years is extremely rare. What we do know is that the art of weaving is very old and dates back thousands of years.

Weaving began with rough, simple mats and baskets made of grasses, reeds, leaves, and other natural materials. The first true