A Kashmiri artisan is seen weaving a traditional carpet on a loom at a carpet weaving factory in Srinagar. File | Photo credit: Imran Nissar
Every time a missile hits Iran, tremors are felt thousands of kilometers away in Srinagar’s Badamwari carpet.
For many artisans, the war struck a personal chord—Kashmir’s famous carpets are named after cities across Iran.
“I am a master of Kashan carpets, named after the Iranian city. My family has been weaving Iranian patterns for ages. Kashmiri carpets are incomplete without them,” said 67-year-old Haider Magray of Srinagar’s Hawal.
For centuries, Kashmir has competed with Iranian rugs, replicating the unique patterns associated with cities such as Kermanshah, Kashan, Tabriz, Khorasan, Isfahan, Hamadan, Ardabil, Mashhad, Qum and Shiraz. Many of these major cities, which have major carpet centers, have been affected by hostilities between Iran, the US, and Israel. “It is painful to see the names of Iranian cities that we relate to through the destruction of our vessels. We pray that the war will end and their craft bazaars will once again be teeming with customers,” Mr Magray said.
Every city in Iran has a different design signature – some are dominated by geometric shapes and historical markers, while others feature floral patterns. The Kashmiri carpet industry was influenced by Iranian designs. The shared skills of dense hand-knotting have made Kashmiri and Persian rugs world famous.
“The designer Ardabil carpet woven by Kashmiri artisans and displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the United Kingdom is a testament to the relationship with Iranian carpets. We have been exporting Ardabil, Kashan and Tabrizi patterns made in Kashmir since our great-grandfathers established the ‘House of Ali Shah’ in 1869 with the design of Arth us the Artes of the Shane. and Cultural Centre. “Many Iranian designs have been over time improvised and renamed after local artisans like Safdhar Kashan,” he added.
During the 16th century Mughal period and the 19th century Dogra period, traders from Iran considered Kashmir as one of their favorite stops where they sold goods mostly to ruling class elites.
“During the Mughal period, Iranian traders facilitated the transfer of skills. Iranian traders may have even taken artisans to Iran to develop skills,” said Saleem Beg of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
Author Hakim Sameer Hamdani, who recently wrote about Kashmir’s Persian connection in City of Kashmir: Srinagar: A Popular History, said: “One Persian merchant from Mashad, Hajji Abid, died in Srinagar during the Dogra ruler Maharaja Gulab Singh. manuscripts in Kashmir.”
The ongoing war also cast its shadow on future cooperation between Kashmiri and Iranian artisans. Last year, Srinagar was named the World Crafts City by the World Crafts Council, an NGO. “There are 14 Iranian cities that the Council has also listed as craft cities. We expected the inclusion of Srinagar to lead to knowledge exchange. The war also cast a shadow on that,” Mr Beg said.
Published – 20 March 2026 22:32 IST
