Official EU Partner of Farahan Carpet — Traditional Wool Rugs

Personal Foreword from Hassan Farahani, CEO Luxonaria GmbH

“Luxonaria GmbH — Official EU Representative of Farahan Carpet | Traditional Wool Rugs”

Hassan Farahani, MMA

Our Cultural Heritage

I was born in Qom and grew up in Tehran — in a family where art, music, and rug culture have been part of life for generations. Both of my parents came from Farahan, a region world-renowned for its Sarough and Ziegler rugs. My father’s ancestors also trace back to northwestern Iran, to the historic rug-weaving region of Gharabagh (Karabakh), which is likewise closely tied to the history of Ziegler & Co.

My parents were born in the 1950s and were already working in rug making as children. In the 1970s, our family lived in Qom, where my mother, together with her siblings, wove some of the region’s finest handmade silk rugs.

My grandfather, born in the 1890s and living past the age of 100, told stories of a golden age of rug artistry in the 19th century. At that time, the renowned firm Ziegler & Co. commissioned rugs from Farahan, Sultanabad, and Sarough that were highly prized in Europe and the United States. During the same era, prominent politicians and reformers from Farahan — Ghaem Magham Farahani I, Ghaem Magham Farahani II, and Prime Minister Amir Kabir — fostered cultural exchange between East and West.

To me, this is the origin of what I today call the “cultural heritage of the Orient in the West”: an art form thousands of years old that connects people across borders and across time.

This weaving tradition runs deep. The oldest known rug, the Pazyryk carpet from the 5th century BC, testifies to the endurance of this culture. No empire and no dynasty has lasted as long as this living art. Rugs such as the Ardabil Carpet from the Safavid era, the precious Sarough and Ziegler rugs of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the intricate Malayer and Hamadan rugs are only a few examples of its great diversity and significance.

Raised with classical music and recognized as an illustrator in numerous competitions during my school years, I went on to study piano, trumpet, and clarinet, as well as composition, media technology, and media art in Vienna and Linz.

My own path bridges tradition and innovation, East and West.

Through founding this venture, I unite these worlds: we do not simply trade in rugs — we preserve history, restore art, and tell stories woven from fabric, sound, light, and memory. Our specialties are the restoration, curation, and design of high-quality art and decorative objects, particularly handmade rugs and decorative cultural artifacts, historic craftsmanship, and contemporary art.

In a world full of conflict and division, I believe in the connecting power of art. To me, a rug is far more than decoration — it is a silent carrier of time, origin, and humanity.

This art connects people.
And that connection is my personal mission.

I warmly invite you to become part of this story and to experience with us the cultural heritage of the Orient in the West.

With heartfelt warmth and passion,
Hassan Farahani
in the spirit of the original founder’s message

About Farahan Carpet — Guardians of a Historic Rug Region

Farahan Carpet on Instagram ↗

Farahan — Birthplace of the Ziegler Rugs

Rugs from Farahan, Sarough, Mohajeran, and Sultanabad rank among the great classics of Persian cultural history, especially those woven between 1850 and 1930, when the region achieved international renown. Many of the finest surviving originals from that era are now held in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), the Museum of Islamic Art (Berlin), and the Carpet Museum of Tehran, and continue to set records at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Farahan Carpet deliberately builds on this era — not as reproduction, but as a genuine continuation of the tradition.

Ziegler–Farahan & Sultanabad — The Historical Roots

In 1883, the British firm Ziegler & Co. established a production house in Sultanabad (present-day Arak). Their aim was revolutionary: combining Persian craftsmanship with European design sensibility and color harmony. The result was rugs with soft, muted palettes — cream, sage, soft blue — and subtle designs perfectly suited to European interiors. Ziegler–Farahan rugs are today among the most valuable and sought-after antique wool rugs in the world. Farahan Carpet does not produce modern copies; it sees itself as a rightful heir to this tradition, using authentic materials, true colors, and historically accurate structures.

Material Philosophy — Wool and Dyes as They Were 150 Years Ago

The workshop works exclusively with hand-spun highland wool (with its high natural fat content for a beautiful sheen and exceptional durability) and plant-based natural dyes, made using traditional methods from madder root, walnut shell, indigo, reseda, pomegranate peel, henna, grape skin, and pistachio bark. Dyeing and fixing follow the same recipes used between 1850 and 1920 — producing deep, warm colors, a harmonious patina, a lively fiber structure, and an entirely natural appearance.

The Four Core Design Schools of Farahan Carpet

Ziegler–Farahan — pastel tones, understated floral motifs, generous open space; historically the most coveted “living-room rug.” Sarough / Sarouk — intense reds, full floral arrangements, elegant proportions; a favorite among American collectors. Mohajeran — dynamic florals, bold lines, energetic movement. Sultanabad — large-scale patterns and spacious ornamentation with a timeless, modern effect. Farahan Carpet is one of the few workshops that still produces all four historic styles with full authenticity.

Values & Ethics

Farahan Carpet stands for fair, socially responsible production in traditional village workshops — with no synthetic dyes, no industrial shortcuts, sustainable wool, transparent supply chains, and a genuine commitment to preserving art and culture.

Mission & Modern Vision

The mission is to preserve Farahan’s cultural heritage, reinterpret traditional wool rugs for contemporary living spaces, offer designers and collectors commissions drawn from historic pattern archives, and keep natural dyeing and hand-spinning techniques alive. Today, Farahan Carpet unites traditional aesthetics, authentic natural materials, and modern quality standards — bringing the great rug culture of Central Persia back into homes around the world.