Uses of Carpets and Rugs throughout History

Carpets developed in Central and western Asia as coverings for beaten-earth floors. From time immemorial, carpets covered the floors of house and tent as well as mosque and palace.

 In the homes of wealthy Eastern families, floor coverings serve an aesthetic as well as a practical function. Rugs are often grouped in a traditional arrangement, partly to allow for simultaneous display; the carpet's size and shape are determined by the intended place within that arrangement. There are usually four carpets.

The largest, called mian farsh, usually some 18 × 8 feet, is placed in the centre. Flanking the mian farsh are two runners, or kanarehs, which are mainly used for walking and which measure some 18 × 3 feet. The principal rug, or kellegi, averaging 12 × 6 feet, is placed at one end of the arrangement of three carpets, so that its length stretches almost completely across their collective widths.

The intended use sometimes determines both design and size, as in the prayer rug, or namazlik. Design, naturally linked to religious imagery, is characterized by the mihrab, or prayer niche (an imitation of the prayer niche in the wall of a mosque), the apex of which could be pointed toward Mecca. But other religious motifs also appear, such as hanging lamps, water jugs, or “hand prints” to mark the place of the worshiper on the rug.

Until the mid-17th century, Asian carpets imported into Europe were considered too precious to be used as permanent floor coverings. Placed on the floor only on church holidays or in an aristocrat's presence, they were normally hung on the wall or used to cover tables, benches, and chests; and, particularly in Italy, they were hung over balconies as decoration during festivals.

Considering this European attitude, the Egyptian manufacturers created several unusual shapes and sizes for the European market: square, round, and cruciform carpets, obviously designed for tables rather than floors. During the 17th century, covering the entire floor with costly knotted carpets became fashionable. The mid-20th century witnessed a boom in antique-carpet prices that resulted in nicer pieces ending up back on the wall.

Oriental carpets served many uses besides covering floors. They made handsome curtains, served as tribute money, and were frequently gifts of one nation to another.

They were used as blankets, canopies, coverings for tent openings, and tomb covers. They have also made excellent saddle covers and storage bags for use in tents.

Such modest rugs were always close to the life of the people, who lavished care on them and into them wove life-protecting symbols. Other, more bizarre, uses have included assisting in the demise of al-Mustasim, Baghdad's last caliph—who in 1258 was wrapped in a carpet and beaten to death—and dramatically enhancing Cleopatra's introduction to Julius Caesar, when she stepped out of an unrolled rug. In less well-documented instances, they have assumed magical properties and taken flight.