Karajeh or Gharajeh carpets

Information about ancient Persian Gharajeh oriental carpets

Short overview

Gharajeh rugs, also called Karadja or Karaja, are highly prized hand-woven rugs made in the village of Qarajeh, Heris (Heriz), northeast of Tabriz, in the Karadagh region of Iran, just south of the border with Azerbaijan, in the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran getting produced. The carpets from this area - the so-called Karaja carpets - have very special design features that distinguish them from other north-western Persian (Iranian) carpets and carpets. Although these carpets generally show a strong tendency towards rectilinear, even geometric designs, they can display stylistic motifs derived from or similar to other carpet styles, most notably the Heriz style (notably the Heriz medallion).

The Gharajeh carpet style

One of the most common motifs or typical themes of Gharajeh rugs are three large geometric medallions in the center of the rug field, similar to those of Heriz rugs or even Caucasian rugs. This central medallion is usually bar-like in outline and different in color from the other two, which may be based on a figure such as an eight-pointed star. Gharajeh carpets can be divided into two different groups:

The first group is characterized by one or more rows of medallions.
The second group often uses a high proportion of light blue.
Otherwise, the color palette varies from somber - with indigo blue or madder fields - to intense with strong contrasting colors including oranges, greens and whites.

East Azerbaijan province

Up to 35% of all Iranian carpets are made in East Azerbaijan and the annual production accounts for over 70% of Iran's carpet exports. There are currently about 66.000 carpet manufacturing plants in the province, employing around 200.000 people. Other branches of industry in East Azerbaijan are oil refineries and petrochemical processing plants, glass, paper, steel and copper production, the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries as well as vehicle and mechanical engineering. East Azerbaijan is also home to some of Iran's most prestigious universities, including Tabriz University, Sahand University of Technology and Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

East Azerbaijan province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran covering an area of ​​around 18 000 km² and a population of around 4 million people. It is located in Iranian Azerbaijan and borders with Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the provinces of Ardabil, West Azerbaijan and Zanjan. The capital of East Azerbaijan is Tabriz. East Azerbaijan is one of Iran's richest regions in natural minerals, with over 100 mines currently operating. In addition, UNESCO has established two biosphere reserves, one at Lake Urmia and the other at Arasbaran.
The village of Karajeh, Heris

Qarajeh is a village in Khvajeh District, Heriz County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, at the northwestern end of the Heriz Weaving Region, near Tabriz. At the 2006 census, the population was 1.081, with 215 households. The carpet style itself, Gharajeh, which is named after this area, is also known as Karaja, Karadja, Gharadjeh or Qaraajeh.
NOTE: The city of Karaj is located near Tehran and has 4 million inhabitants.