Carpet Museum of Iran: A Visitor’s Guide to Tehran’s Textile Collection
Carpets, kilims and a loom-inspired building beside Laleh Park
The Carpet Museum of Iran opened in Tehran on 11 February 1978. Beside Laleh Park, its galleries bring together carpets and flatwoven kilims from different Iranian weaving centers.
Contents
A Living Heritage: The Tradition of Persian Carpets
Start by comparing a knotted carpet with a flatwoven kilim. A pile carpet has rows of knots that rise above the foundation, while a kilim’s pattern is formed by the interlaced threads themselves.
Look at the edge of each piece for clues about its structure. Wool and silk handle light differently, and the warp and weft may be made from a different fiber than the pile.
The national tourism portal lists works from Kashan, Kerman, Isfahan, Tabriz and Khorasan among the museum’s holdings. Compare the labels before assuming that a single motif identifies a city or region.
History of the Carpet Museum
The museum opened during the Pahlavi period, with the aim of collecting carpets and studying their history and weaving techniques.
Read More: Iranian Carpet: Crafting Beauty in Every Knot
Architectural Highlights of the Museum
Architect Abdol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian designed the museum. The tall ribs around the outside recall a carpet loom. Look at them from across the forecourt before entering the galleries.
Exploring the Museum’s Collections
The national tourism portal describes two exhibition halls, with the lower hall used for permanent displays and the upper hall designed for temporary exhibitions.
Permanent Collection
The collection spans carpets and kilims from multiple weaving centers and periods. Use the labels to compare place of origin, materials and dates, then step back to see the overall design.
Temporary Exhibitions
The upper hall was designed for changing displays of carpets and kilims. Build your visit around the collection as a whole if you are coming to see a particular style or period.
Notable Carpets and Artifacts
The famous Ardabil Carpet bearing Maqsud Kashani’s name is held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. At the Tehran museum, use the labels to identify the carpets on display rather than expecting to see that original here.
The Symbolism of Persian Carpets
Compare where the design puts its emphasis. A central medallion draws the eye inward, while an all-over pattern repeats across the field. Borders can change how each design reads from a distance.
Motifs and colors vary with workshop, period and intended use. Read the label alongside the design before assigning a meaning to a color or symbol.
How to Read a Weave
To see how a pattern is built, look for the rows of knots in a pile carpet. The finished image is assembled one row at a time. A repeating border is a useful place to see how the same shapes are built and joined.
Moving Through the Galleries
Allow time for both the building and the galleries. If stairs are a concern, ask at the entrance which parts of the museum are accessible on your visit.
Tips for Visiting the Carpet Museum of Iran
Best Time to Visit
Spring and autumn are comfortable seasons to pair the museum with a walk in Laleh Park.
Photography
Follow the signs in each gallery for photography and equipment. If a display is dim, leave your flash off.
Etiquette
Keep hands away from the textiles and give other visitors room to step back and see each pattern in full.
Nearby Attractions
Pair the visit with the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art on North Kargar Street, a short walk south along the edge of Laleh Park. The park is also a useful break between the two galleries.
Preservation Efforts
Historic textiles are sensitive to light. Dim lighting can help limit fading, and a brief pause lets your eyes adjust enough to see the details in darker dyes.
Planning Your Visit
The museum is by the northwest corner of Laleh Park, near the junction of Fatemi Street and North Kargar Street.
A Final Look at the Building
On the way out, look again at the facade. The resemblance to a loom is easier to see after you have looked closely at how the carpets are made.
- Tehran, Dr Fatemi St, Iran
- +98 21 8896 2703
- www.carpetmuseum.ir
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Dear Carpet Museum of Iran:
I’m trying to track down a lovely old Persian carpet that once had pride of place in a long-forgotten royal palace in Esher in England.
The huge blue and pink carpet (measuring 51 ft. by 18 ft.) belonged to Robert Clive who installed it in his Gallery at Claremont in about 1774.
Known as a Durbar carpet, it had an impressively deep pile and can be seen in a splendid watercolour of Claremont’s Gallery painted by Joseph Nash in the mid-19th Century.
By one account, Princess Alice inherited the carpet in 1922 on the death of her mother, the Duchess of Albany. But then it disappeared.
It suddenly occurred to me that you might know something about this wonderful old Persian carpet.
I’m writing a history of Claremont and I’m keen to mention it (and its whereabouts!) in my chapter on Robert Clive.
If you can throw any light on the carpet and its history, I’d be most grateful for your help.
Kind regards,
Stephen Webbe
Dear Stephen,
Thanks for your comment. I just sent an email to the museum manager.
I hope this work for you.
Regards,
Mehdi ESHRAGHI