The Carpet Shop

 
 
 
 

Vocabulary

lamb	originate	synonymous
export	import	produce (2)
rug	antique	good/better/best
pray	variety	weave/wove/woven
wool	floor (2)	household
knot	nomadic	period (3)
design	invasion	pass down
warp	provide	generation
camel	shipping	take/took/taken
piece	all over	handcraft
palace	decorate	grand (2)
pearl	pattern	elaborate
value	clear (2)	treasure (2)
silk	display	ethnic group
karat	distinct	buy/bought/bought
gulf	align (2)	fresh water
pure	head into	bring/brought/brought

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Majid, Carpet Dealer: “Hi guys. Welcome to my carpet shop.

The country of Iran is synonymous with carpets. The art of carpet weaving in Persia originated more than twenty-five hundred (2,500) years ago. And today, Iran is the world’s largest producer and exporter of carpets.

And it’s a huge part of their economy.

I think it’s safe to say, “Nobody does carpets better than Persians.”

Majid, Carpet Merchant: “This is a carpet from a hundred years ago. This is an antique, prayer rug: camels’ wool and lambs’ wool.”

For centuries, Persian carpets have been produced to decorate floors of buildings, and provide nomadic people protection from cold winters.

The techniques and designs or carpet weaving have been passed down for generations throughout periods of peace, invasion and war.

Majid Carpet Dealer: “Look, we have a warp here; we have a warp here. We take one from the front, one from the back, and we make a knot.”

There’s always a variety because different ethnic groups in Iran produce different carpets.

Majid, Carpet Dealer: “We have Qashqai, Lor, Baluch, Kurd, Arab, Shahsavan, Turkmen, Sarakhs, and they have different kinds of carpets.”

All over Iran today, carpet making is the most popular handcraft. And you can see them displayed everywhere: on the floors and walls of all palaces, households, restaurants, hotel rooms, museums and famous buildings.

In Isfahan, where we are today, Persian carpets have been woven since the sixteenth century, and are famous for their elaborate colors, distinct patterns and artistic designs.

We headed into a famous carpet store called Iran Pazyryk to learn about some of the best Persian rugs from a master named Majid.

For many Persians, not only Majid, it’s clear that the carpet is their most treasured and valued possession.

And speaking of value, these rugs are NOT cheap.

Majid, Carpet Dealer: “Twenty-seven thousand, eight-hundred dollars ($27,800) including shipment. This is fifty-thousand US dollars ($50,000).

Carpet made from silk, wool, two-hundred and fifty (250) pieces of eighteen (18) karat gold and pearl” . . . Woahhhhhh! . . . “These are all pears from the Persian Gulf, from fresh waters. This is gold, eighteen (18) karats, two-hundred fifty (250) pieces. Seventy thousand ($70,000).

Host: “Can I ask what are the cheapest carpets you sell?”

Majid, Carpet Dealer: “Seventy US dollars ($70).”

I wanted to buy one, but the prices didn’t exactly align with my budget, especially the pure silk and antique wool ones.

Majid, Carpet Dealer: “Hundred percent (100%).”

Host: “How much is it?”

Majid, Carpet Dealer: “One-hundred thousand ($100,000).”

Host: “A hundred grand. What do you think, Amin?”

I could buy a nice house for the price of one rug!

Maybe someday, on my next trip to Iran, I’ll get to bring one of these guys home.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

 

Questions

1. Weaving carpets is a recent (new) activity in Iran. True or false?

2. Do the United States and China produce the best and most famous carpets in the world?

3. People go to school to learn the art of carpet making. Is this right or wrong?

4. Do all carpets in Iran have the same design, style, patters and colors?

5. In Iran carpets only decorate people’s homes. Is this right or wrong?

6. Are Persian carpets cheap, medium-priced, expensive, very expensive, or it depends?

7. Why are some carpets very expensive?

 

A. My friends and I have Persian or Oriental carpets and rugs in my home. Yes or no? Would you like to own and decorate your home with Oriental carpets?

B. Does you city or country produce decorative carpets?

C. Have you visited or seen a carpet shop? What did you see inside?

D. What are some traditional crafts in your town, city or country?

E. What might happen in the future?