Qhavareh or Size in the Iranian Carpets

Written by Abdolhossein Ghasemnejad.

There are some terms in the literature on Iranian carpet weaving which refer to the size of the weaves. These specific terms are of great use once it comes to purchasing handwoven rugs, and can help customers make a better choice.

Door Mats

Door mats are less than half square meters and are placed at the entrances to rooms. Although houses and offices are of similar architecture these days, door mats are still used mainly together with other decorative items like pots and light stands to specify the entrance.

Zare-o Charak

This type of weave is one square meters in size. In the past, it was used as a floor covering for one person, and to host gusts during party receptions. It has also been used for one individual during Muslim praying rituals. With the popularity of modern furniture today, Charak usually functions as a door mat or floor covering to carpet spaces between rooms and on staircases. It can also be used as the outer covering on home or office furniture.

Zare-o Nim

These types of weaves are the next most-frequently used floor coverings after rugs and carpets. They are one and a half square meters in size, and were traditionally used as floor covering for one person, being more popular in urban and rural settings but less among nomads. Today, this weave has multiple functions. It is commonly used in front of different pieces of furniture or alongside main rugs to cover the remaining space on the floor in sparsely-furnished areas.

Do Zare

This floor covering is about two square meters in size (200 cm to 220 cm in length and 104 cm to 110 cm in width). This type of floor covering is big enough to cover a larger area, then historically popular among villagers and nomads and appropriate to be used by one person to live and sleep on. Following changes in lifestyles, these weaves are rarely produced these days, although they can still be used to on kitchen or bed room’s floors, or even at offices where there is little space to be carpeted.

Ghaliche or Se Zare

They are the second most-commonly used covering after carpets. Rugs are three square meters in size (150 in 200 cm) and are possible to use in many different places such as living rooms, bed rooms or offices. In general, rugs can be used in any place which is furnished.

Pardeie

This type of weaves was previously used for purposes other than floor covering. As the name carries, it was used to cover entrances to public places in particular as they are the same size as curtains. Curtain is usually four square meters in size (155 to 160 cm in width and 220 to 230 cm in length). Today, Pardeie can be used as floor covering in dining areas, living rooms, offices and conference rooms.

Miyaneh

This weave is what we inherit from our ancestors who used it to carpet rooms bigger than 15 square meters in size with five doors. Miyaneh is about four square meters in size (200 by 150 cm). The use of this weave has been rendered to that of rugs these days as houses have shrunk in size. This means it can be used in living rooms and offices were diplomats are received.

Kenareh

This weave has always been used to carpet corridors. They range in width from 50 cm to 120, and are as long as two square meters. Today, there are also Kenarehs that are shorter than 50 cm in width which are used to cover narrow platforms. They can be used to taste to cover parts of corridors, leaving the central space empty.

Sar Andaz

These weaves are similar to Kenarehs in shape but are 150 cm or 170 cm in width, and more than four meters in length. Sar Andaz was similarly used in five-door rooms to host guests. Its function now is, however, similar to that of kenareh, carpeting hotels, offices and other such buildings.

Kharak

This weave was also used in the same way as Kenareh with its width, however, a third of its length, making a total area of about one square meter in size (150 by 50 cm). Kharak is used more often these days than before due to a reduction in size of buildings which encourages use of smaller weaves. Kharak can, therefore, be used in bed rooms, apartments’ entrances, kitchens, the middle of corridors, or even as a means to separate living rooms from reception areas.

Rug

Carpets are considered as the main floor coverings in Iran with six square meters in size. Carpets are usually used to cover a place completely, although they can also carpet bigger areas leaving the corners empty. Carpets that are specially produced to be used in America tend to be bigger than six square meters, complying with foot unit of measurement.

Floor Covering Larger than Six Square Meters

Weaves of nine (350 by 250 cm), 12 (400 by 300 cm), 20 (550 by 350 cm or 500 by 400 cm), 24 (600 by 400 cm) square meters or more are of limited use. However, they are practically used in the same way as carpets. They should be used to cover an area either completely or leaving a little space empty. Thus, to cover a 24-square-meter room, for instance, a 20-square-meter weave is more appropriate than a 12-square-meter one.

Circular or Oval Coverings

Of these types of weaves, those with one to three square meters in size have the same function as Zar-o Nim and rugs, and those with six to 20 square meters in size can be used in the same way as carpets and other large weaves.

Bibliography

Ghasemnejad, Abdolhossein. 2022. Field Work.