01 — OriginThe weaver's capital of Persia.

Tabriz sits on the Silk Road at the crossroads between Persia, the Caucasus, Turkey, and Central Asia. This position gave it access to every design tradition in the eastern hemisphere, and Tabriz weavers absorbed and synthesized all of them.

Tabriz rug production reached its first peak during the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736), when the city was briefly the Safavid capital and hosted the royal workshops. Many of the surviving 16th-century "hunting rugs" and "medallion carpets" in world museums are Tabriz work.

The city's second and more commercially significant rise came in the late 19th century when Tabriz became the primary supplier of Persian rugs to Europe and America. Workshops adapted classical Persian design to Western tastes, standardized production, and pioneered many of the techniques that define fine Persian rug weaving today.

02 — Design RangeEvery Persian design tradition.

Unlike Kashan (defined by the classical medallion) or Heriz (defined by bold geometrics), Tabriz workshops have historically produced every major Persian design tradition at high quality. Common Tabriz designs include:

• Classical medallion: similar to Kashan but often with more elaborate corner spandrels and finer curvilinear detail.
• Herati allover: the classic diamond-and-rosette pattern repeated across the field.
• Garden design: geometric compartments representing a Persian formal garden.
• Pictorial: hunting scenes, historical figures, poetry illustrations. Tabriz workshops produced the finest pictorial rugs in Persia.
• Prayer rug: mihrab designs with tree of life and floral elements.
• Hereke-style: silk pieces influenced by Turkish master workshops.
• Modern and contemporary: Tabriz workshops actively produce designs adapted for current interiors.

Master weavers historically signed their Tabriz work with a cartouche naming the workshop — Faraji, Benlian, Alabaf, Nemat, and others are among the most collected names.

03 — The Raj SystemHow Tabriz measures fineness.

Tabriz uses its own measurement system for knot density, called Raj (or Radj). Raj measures the number of knots per gereh, a traditional unit of about 2.75 inches (7 cm).

• 30 Raj: ~120 KPSI. Standard commercial production.
• 40 Raj: ~200 KPSI. Fine workshop production.
• 50 Raj: ~330 KPSI. Master workshop.
• 60 Raj: ~470 KPSI. Very fine, often silk highlights.
• 70+ Raj: 640+ KPSI. Extreme master work, often full silk.

When a dealer describes a Tabriz as "50 Raj," they mean 50 knots per gereh. Higher Raj = finer weave = more detail = higher price. See our KPSI guide for how to count and verify.

04 — MaterialsWool foundation, silk highlights.

Most Tabriz rugs use fine wool pile on cotton foundation, similar to Kashan. Higher-tier Tabriz uses silk highlights within the wool ground — picking out fine details in silk while keeping the durability of wool. The finest Tabriz pieces are pure silk on silk foundation, capable of extraordinary KPSI counts and pattern detail.

Tabriz uses the Persian (asymmetric) knot. Some very fine Tabriz work uses "jufti" knots — a false knot that halves actual knot density — so buyers should verify. See our jufti warning in the KPSI post.

05 — PaletteBroader than any other region.

Tabriz palettes span the full Persian range. Traditional pieces use madder red and indigo blue grounds. Later production shifts toward ivory and cream grounds for Western buyers. Some Tabriz pieces feature unusual colors — soft pinks, greens, and yellows — that don't appear in more conservative regional traditions.

Natural dyes dominated through the late 19th century. Synthetic dyes were adopted early in Tabriz (the region's commercial focus made cheaper dyes attractive), so some late 19th century Tabriz pieces suffer from the color problems of first-generation synthetics. The finest master workshop production returned to natural dyes in the early 20th century.

06 — Market TiersAntique, semi-antique, and modern Tabriz.

07 — PricingThe broadest range in Persian rugs.

• Antique fine Tabriz 8×10 (50+ Raj): $10,000-40,000
• Antique standard Tabriz 8×10 (30-40 Raj): $4,000-15,000
• Semi-antique Tabriz 8×10: $2,500-10,000
• Modern Tabriz 8×10: $1,500-8,000
• Fine silk Tabriz 6×9: $8,000-50,000+
• Signed master workshop pieces: $25,000-200,000+

Tabriz has the widest price range of any Persian rug tradition because the quality range is so broad. Two Tabriz rugs of the same size can differ in price by 20x.

08 — Identifying AuthenticSigns of a real Tabriz.

• Fine, tight foundation. Tabriz cotton foundations are notably thin and precise.
• Curvilinear precision. Even in bold designs, curves are drawn with unusual accuracy.
• Multiple design elements. Tabriz rugs often combine medallion, allover pattern, and pictorial elements in a single piece — a range of complexity other regions don't attempt.
• Signature cartouches. Look for a small woven cartouche naming the workshop, especially in fine antique pieces.
• Real vs jufti knots. Verify KPSI by actually counting; some Tabriz production uses jufti. See our KPSI guide.

09 — CareStandard Persian rug care.

Tabriz rugs are among the most durable Persian pieces because of their tight construction. Standard care applies: weekly vacuuming, annual rotation, quality rug pad, professional cleaning every 3-5 years for high-traffic use.

— Taimur