FAQs

Often, yes. Busy Herati repeats help camouflage soil. For maximum toughness, choose a Bijar with Herati—the “Iron Rug” construction is famously dense and hard-wearing.

Yes. The orderly Herati grid reads as subtle texture from a distance. Neutrals or blue-ivory palettes blend seamlessly with minimalist, contemporary, and transitional spaces.

Practically all sizes—mats to palace sizes—and lots of runners. Common area sizes include 5×8, 6×9, 8×10, and 9×12, making Herati easy to fit most rooms.

Many Indo/Pak Herati rugs are hand-knotted and durable at lower prices than Persian Tabriz Mahi. Judge by materials, knot density, and clarity of the Herati lattice.

Check the back and fringe. Hand-knotted Herati shows individual knots and a pattern mirroring the front, with fringe as part of the warp. Machine-made often has sewn-on fringe.

Most are fine wool (often kurk) on cotton with occasional silk highlights; some luxury pieces use extensive silk. Material mix strongly affects sheen, detail, and price.

“Raj” measures knots per 7 cm; higher raj = finer weave. Many Tabriz Mahi are 40–60 raj; 60+ raj pieces are very fine. A 50 raj rug is roughly \~280–320 KPSI.

It’s a Tabriz carpet woven with the Herati (mahi) design, typically fine, short-pile, and highly detailed. Many use wool with silk highlights and symmetrical knots.

You’ll often see Herati in Tabriz, Bijar, Senneh, Malayer, Khorasan/Mashhad, Hamadan, and Sarouk rugs. It appears as an allover field or within borders and medallion corners.

Both. Village or tribal versions skew geometric; city weaves like Tabriz render the same Herati (mahi) forms with curving, fluid outlines.

“Mahi darham” means “entwined/twisted fish,” a denser, rotating Herati. “Riz-mahi” means “fine fish,” a tiny-scale, highly detailed version often seen in finer city weaves.

Look for a small rosette inside a diamond, flanked by four angled, curved leaves that can resemble fish. The repeat forms a neat diagonal lattice across the rug.