Turkoman Bokhara red rug

Ideal for adding a warming ambience to your home, this traditional handmade Turkoman Bokhara red rug displays a renowned design from the world of Oriental rugs. 

This Turkoman Bokhara rug shows a rich red field and border colour. A traditional colour palette associated with Turkoman rugs. The design detail colours of dark blue/black, orange and cream contrast beautifully with the deep red focal colour. 

The design of this red Turkoman rug is known as the "Bokhara" design. This is the uniform geometric pattern which covers the field of the rug. 

Learn some more about this Turkoman Bokhara red rug

This red Bokhara rug was handmade in Turkmenistan, in the region of Ashkabad. 

The field design consists of a uniform arrangement of 42 linked emblems known as "guls". The field of Turkoman rugs is traditionally decorated with gul (which means flower) motifs. Each tribe has it's own signature gul. The Tekke tribe were the most dominant tribe of Turkmenistan, and the pattern of their rugs has become known as the Bokhara design. 

Following the completion of the Central Asian Railway in the late 1800s, Turkoman rugs were exported to the West in vast numbers. At the time Tekke rugs (and most types of Turkoman rugs) were simply labeled as Bokhara, from the name of an important trading post on the Silk Road. The label stuck.

In the Soviet era, these Bokhara rugs became known as "Russian Bokhara" rugs. This also served to help differentiate these rugs from imitations from other countries. Indeed, such has been the universal popularity of the design that places like Pakistan and India have developed their own versions of Bokhara rugs. 

Find out what this red Bokhara rug is made from & how it was made

A key indicator of Turkoman Bokhara rugs is that they are made entirely from wool. They have a woollen pile as well as woollen warps. The long fringes that you can see are actually also the warp threads - each thread travels the entire length of the rug. The warps are thus the first yarns onto the loom before the rug making begins. 

The way in which this Bokhara rug was made has changed little over hundreds of years. This is a handmade rug. The woollen pile, that we find luxurious underfoot and a joy to look at, was made by a technique called hand-knotting. 

Making a hand-knotted rug is a time-consuming affair. Every tuft of pile is made from a knot, hand-tied onto pairs of warp threads. The weavers (there would be two on a rug this size) knot in rows across the width of the loom. Once the row of knots is finished, weft threads are woven between the warps and these wefts are compacted against the row of knots. So row after row, you can see the rug take shape. 

The knotting is carried out meticulously, and all of the different coloured knots collaborate to make the pattern of the rug. 

Where you can use this red Turkoman rug in your home

Measuring 245x161cm, this Bokhara red rug is a great size for use in living rooms as well as many other rooms in your home.

It is a cosy rug with a smart design which is brimming with heritage. Tightly woven and made from hard wearing natural fibres, this rug will be a long-lasting item that will give you many years of pleasure. 

Add a rug underlay to lay beneath it to keep it positioned firmly in place. An anti-slip rug underlay will help prevent uneven wear and help stop slippage. 

Key details:

• Country of origin: Turkmenistan
• Size: 245×161cm / 8’1″x5’4″ (length measurement including Kilim end finishes is 254cm, including the fringes it is 273cm). 
• Thickness: 8mm
• Pile: Wool, hand-knotted
• Warp: Wool
• Age: Perhaps woven up to 20 years ago. Like new, unused condition