I explore the origins of the Qashqai tribe in my Guide to the Qashqai Kelim. It is pretty good work and I do not have much to say besides what I say there.

So why have a Guide to Qashqai rugs? Well I have to put the pictures and links some place. I do not want the Kelim page to be too cluttered. Maybe as I go along I will think of something profound to say. In the mean time you can also look at my old guide Guide to Qashqai Rugs on SpongoBongo.com.

The Engelhardt Qashqai Rug 2nd Half 19th C Fars Province Lot 82

Animal Garden Qashqai Rug late 19th c Fars Province Lot 37

The Qashqai

Gabbeh Rugs are a very significant part of the Qashqai rug production. Why? Because that is what people are buying.

Guide To Gabbeh Rugs - the Wool, the Yarn, the Dyes

Guide To Gabbeh Rugs - the Weavers

Qashqai Bag 19th C Fars Province Lot 119

Takht e Jamshid Fars province

Takht-e Jamshid

Persepolis in is the Qashqai tribal areas. The site has influenced Qashqai rugs over the years. Once the seat of the Persian empire Persepolis was first sacked by the Greeks. It was looted many times through history.

A historic ruin in Firuzabad, south of Shiraz, southwestern Iran

Tomb of Cyrus the Great Pasargad, Fars province.jpg

The pillars of Persepolis

Qashqai Bags

Boteh Qashqai Bag Circa 1890 Fars Province Lot 1

Qashqai Bag 19th C Fars Province Lot 119

The Kimble Qashqai Bag Fars Province Lot 616

Pair of Qashqai Bagfaces Fars Province Lot 127

A Pair of Qashqa'i Bags from Hassan Maktabi & Sons

Detail: The Kimble Qashqai Bag Fars Province Lot 616

Special Wedding Guests Eghlid town Fars province Photo by Hasan Ghafari

Many people assume these domed felt chats are an ancient afectation of the Qashqai men. Actually the hat was adopted in the mid twentieth century as a sybol of protest against the cruel oppresion of the Pahlavi Shahs.

Qashqai Millefluers Prayer Rug

Qashqai Prayer Rugs

The Qashqai are not prolific weavers of prayer rugs but they did make interesting rugs inspired by the Mughal Millefluers prayer rugs. See my Guide to Qashqai Rugs

Qashqai Millefluers Prayer Rug early 20th c. lot 117

Gabbeh Rugs

Not that many years abou Gabbeh rugs were woven by Qashqai woman for their own use. Now many Qashqai woman now weave Gaggeh rugs instead of the more traditional Qashqai rugs.

Guide To Gabbeh Rugs - the Wool, the Yarn, the Dyes

Guide To Gabbeh Rugs - the Weavers

A local woman weaving Gabbeh in Gonaveh, Bushehr province (Photo by Effat Hosseini. Iran Daily) The Gheshlagh or winter camp has expanded since the revolution that Qashqai now winter in the Gonaveh area.