Soumak & Flat-Weave Area Rugs: Kilim, Soumak and Dhurrie Explained

Arsh's Rug Library · Rug Styles

Rust and blue soumak flat-weave rug with a gray sofa — Shown: Soumak Zulma, 6'4" x 8'6"

Flat-weave rugs have no knotted pile. They are thin, durable and full of crisp geometry, and they come in three main families: kilim, soumak and dhurrie.

Kilim

A kilim is woven by passing colored weft threads back and forth through the warp. Where two colors meet on a vertical line, small slits often form. Kilims are light, reversible in many cases, and full of diamonds and zigzags. Read our full kilim guide.

Soumak

Soumak weaving wraps the colored weft around the warp threads instead of simply passing over and under them. That wrapping builds a slightly raised, braided-looking surface with a subtle herringbone texture, and leaves loose yarn ends on the back. The result is thicker and sturdier than a kilim, with no slits, so soumaks hold their shape well in living rooms and dining rooms.

Orange and blue soumak rug in a modern living room — A soumak runner and a soumak area rug: flat, sturdy and full of geometry.

Dhurrie

Dhurries are flat-woven rugs with a long tradition in India, often in cotton or wool, with simple stripes, borders and geometric patterns. They are light and easy to move, and work well in casual rooms. See our dhurrie rugs.

How to tell them apart

Slits along color changes: usually a kilim.
A braided, raised texture and loose yarn ends on the back: a soumak.
A smooth, even flat weave, often striped: usually a dhurrie.

Caring for a soumak

The loose yarn ends on the back are part of the weave, so never trim them. Lay the rug on a thin rug pad, vacuum the front without a beater bar, and have it professionally washed. Unlike many kilims, a soumak is not reversible.

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