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Right between Isfahan and Teheran, close to the edge of the great desert Dasht-e-Kavir, lies the city of Keshan with 120 000 inhabitants. The city has been famous for a long time for its textiles and its pottery. The Fine Garden, many tradesmen buildings from the 19th century and the bazaar could be of interest to visitors. The city was important as a trading place and as a resting place along the Silk Road, but has been in the shadow of Isfahan for some time now. The famous Ardebil carpet, which can be seen at Victoria and Albert museum in London is considered to made in Keshan in the 16th century. Also the carpets of today, which are sometimes sold under the name Kashan, have a good reputation. The carpets are handmade in the city of Keshan and its surroundings. Superior carpets were manufactured here during the Safavid dynasty (1502-1736). After a period of decline high quality carpets were being manufactured again at the end of the 19th century. The carpets are manufactured with high knot density with Persian knot, warp and weft of cotton and the wool for the pile is of high quality. The patterns consists of beautifully designed medallions, niches, trees and figural motifs and all-over floral motifs occur also. Dominating colours are blue, red and beige. The quality of these carpets vary a lot, some of them are not even manufactured in Keshan, but are still sold under this name. Some examples of Keshan carpets:
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Tecnical specifications: Pile: wool yarn of good quality, sometimes silk is used Weft: cotton yarn, 2 wefts between the rows of knots Warp: cotton yarn or silk Knot: asymmetrical Knot density: 200 000 - 700 000 knots per square metre
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