TEHRAN – The Gabbeh – a simple hand-woven tribal rug made by nomadic people in southern Iran and India - produced in the southern Iranian province of Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad is of the highest quality in the nation, an expert said.

Currently, Iran’s southern province of Fars is the first producer of Gabbeh however, Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad Province is expected to replace the former in terms of quality, head of the Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad Rug Co. Mehrdad Kaviani stated. Annual production of the ancient rug in the region stands between 700 and 800 square meters all of which is exported by the company to foreign countries. They are mainly sent to the European and American markets free from interference from the province’s customs.

Gabbeh production is traced back to the authentic millennia-old Gabbeh tribe source in Shiraz. Their product is 100% wool from the finest natural Persian wool and vegetable dyes and 100% hand-knotted.

The early weaver of Gabbeh was given only the cotton for the base, along with dyed woolen yarn. There were no pattern, but he looked at his surroundings and reproduced what he saw, therefore, each rug is unique. This spontaneous style has recently achieved much wider acceptance, and has become very popular at home and abroad. Generally, on a thick and heavy pile it combines large uncluttered fields with the occasional geometric human or animal silhouette. Sometimes there are over-all abstract patterns or bold stripes. However, due to the variety in texture and quality of natural woolen yarn, with occasional gray fibers occurring, no two rugs are identical.

Some major rug-weaving centers include the historic city of Shiraz, the famous city of Kerman, and the towns of Abadeh, Sirjan, and many other villages and nomadic groupings. Qashqaii is a very well-known tribe in the world for its Gabbeh.

Gabbeh’s distinctive naive style is especially suited to modern and eclectic interiors.