Our Family Heritage — A Message from the Founder

Our Story — From Sarough (Farahan) to Europe and the USA

Watch: A Message from Our Founder
Watch: A Message from Our Founder
German employee of the Ziegler firm, Franz Theodor Strauss, in PersiaGerman employee of the Ziegler firm, Franz Theodor Strauss, in PersiaZiegler & Co. reference from Sultanabad (Markazi, Arak, Farahan, Sarough)Ziegler & Co. reference from Sultanabad (Markazi, Arak, Farahan, Sarough)Ziegler & Co. company sticker for the province of Central Persia (Markazi), capital Sultanabad (Arak)Ziegler & Co. company sticker for the province of Central Persia (Markazi), capital Sultanabad (Arak)Malayer, Hamadan Province, Ziegler & Co.Malayer, Hamadan Province, Ziegler & Co.A Persian rug bazaar in the 19th centuryA Persian rug bazaar in the 19th centuryWomen weaving in the Markazi region in the 19th century — men and women were both vital to the economy and family workshopsWomen weaving in the Markazi region in the 19th century — men and women were both vital to the economy and family workshopsThe Kerman provincial office for Oriental rugsThe Kerman provincial office for Oriental rugs1920 — generations of child rug-makers who grew up knotting rugs their whole lives1920 — generations of child rug-makers who grew up knotting rugs their whole livesThe Prime Minister from Farahan in the 19th-century Qajar dynasty, among the key statesmen who built the Persian Empire's infrastructureThe Prime Minister from Farahan in the 19th-century Qajar dynasty, among the key statesmen who built the Persian Empire’s infrastructureA 19th-century Qajar-era politician from Farahan who helped build trade and logistics infrastructure with Western countriesA 19th-century Qajar-era politician from Farahan who helped build trade and logistics infrastructure with Western countriesGhaem Magham Farahani IIGhaem Magham Farahani IICentral Persia (Markazi Province)Central Persia (Markazi Province)

Handmade Persian Rugs

Oriental Heritage in the West

Ziegler & Co. in the 19th century played a central role in bringing Persian rugs from Central Persia (Markazi) — including Soltanabad (Arak), Sarough, Farahan, Malayer, Kerman, Tabriz, Hamadan, and Isfahan — to European markets. These rugs, documented in the Tehran Carpet Museum, were adapted to European market demands by the Swiss-British trading house under Franz Theodor Strauss.

It is believed that trade contacts and commissions in these weaving regions, particularly Farahan, were encouraged by three influential politicians and ministers of the Farahani family: Ghaem Magham Farahani I (in office until his death in 1822/23), Qa’em-Maqam Farahani II (minister until 1835), and Mirza Taghi Khan-e Farahani (Amir Kabir) (Prime Minister until 1851).

During his three journeys to Europe (1873, 1878, 1889), Naser al-Din Shah Qajar visited countries including Germany, Belgium, England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and the Ottoman Empire. He met figures such as Queen Victoria, Wilhelm I, Otto von Bismarck, Leopold II, Patrice de MacMahon, Vittorio Emanuele II, and Franz Joseph I.

A cultural highlight of the era was the Persian March by Johann Strauss II, performed in Vienna in 1873 in honor of the Shah.

These connections illustrate the key role played by Farahan and its celebrated statesmen in promoting Persian rug art and cultural exchange during the 19th century.

Note: Historical images referenced on the original site are generally in the public domain, as copyright expires 70 years after the creator’s death. Many works are over 100 years old or released under a Creative Commons license.

Message from the Founder

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

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