(2008 /09 /13 )
Cover Story
world biggest hand-made carpet:
from Nishaboor to Abu Dahbi
Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi (UAE) is an architectureal masterpiece graced with another artistic masterpiece from Iran, a hand-made carpet said to be the biggest in the world (about 6000 square meter = 64.583 square feet) which is the centerpiece of the mosque covering the floor of the main prayer hall, which can accommodate up to 9,000 faithful.
1250 women and girls from the region of Khorasan in northeast Persian spent two years weaving the carpet, which weights 47 ton and cost about 8.5 million dollars. This huge carpet was woven in three small villages near Nishaboor in Khorasan, the city of Persian famous poet "Omar Khayam Nishaboori".
Iran Carpet Co. has started the production of this carpet in January 2006. Designed by a group of Iranan artists headed by Ali Khalighi, the carpet adorned with green and cream colours, was made with a variety of 25 naturall dyed yarns. More than 30 tons of wool and 17 tons of cotton were used to make this carpet in the size of 130 x 46 metrs.
The carpet was made up of nine pieces which were stitched and woven together of the main prayer hall of the massive mosque of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sltan al Nahyan. There are 2.2 billions of knots in the carpet which is made of the best Persian wool from the southern town of Sirjan and some others from the New Zealand.
The dominantly green carpet bears the classi Persian motifs of scrolling wine networks and five medallions -symmetrical centrepieces- which the biggest one measures 24 meters wide corresponding to the domes in the ceiling above.
Finishing work took about one year in the Iran Carpet Co. workshop in the city of Karadj about 50 kilometers west of the capital city Tehran. It was rolled out for the first time in Tehran's vast open air prayer ground, the Mosalla, where the photographers had to board helicopters to have a full view of the carpet.
Several trucks were needed to take the carpet for the showing in Tehran while it should go to the United Arab Emirates by air in two seperate planeloads. The project of the mosque was launched in 1998 and the work will be fully completed in November 2009, but the authority began to organize guided tours of the place February 2008. The first pray on the Nishaboor carpet took place on the last Islamic fest of Ghorban (Eid-ol-Adha).
Sheikh Zayed, who besides being the UAE's firs president was also ruler of the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, one of seven making up the UAE, died in November 2004 and was buried in a courtyard adjacent to the mosque which is dedicated to him.
As he wished, the 100% Italian marble mosque was built on a 9.5 meter (31 feet) high hill so it is visible from far and covers an area of 22.000 square meters. It can accommodate more than 40.000 faithful, 9000 of them inside the main preyer hall. Thousands of rare and semi-precious stons, som encrusted in marble, were used to decorate the structure. But the centerpice is the hand-made Persian carpet from Nishaboor which is the biggest in the world.
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(2008 /09 /30 )
Book Review
The Bood of Flowers
A novel by Anita Amirrezvani
Key phrases: rug workshop, charm maker, feathers carpet, permanent wife, tree carpet, coffee boy, silk rug, prince among men
In Iranian-American Amirrezvani's lushly orchestrated debute, a comet signals misfortune to the remote 17th-century Persian village where the nameless narrator lives modestly but happily with her parents, both of whom expect to see the 14-year-old married within the year. Her fascination with rug making is a pastime they indulge only for the interim, but her father's untimely death prompts the girl to travel with her mother to the city of Isfahan, where the two live as servants in the opulent home of an uncle -a wealthy rug maker to the Shah Abbas.
The only marriage proposal now in the offing is a three-month renewable contract with the son of a horse trader. Teetering on poverty and shame, the girl weaves fantasies for her temporary husband's pleasure and exchanges tales with her beleaguered mother until, having mastered the art of making and selling carpets under her uncle's tutelage, she undertakes to free her mother and herself.
With journalistic clarity, Amirrezvani describes how to make a carpet knot by knot, and then sell it negotiation by negotiation, guiding readers through workshops and bazaars. Sumptuous imagery and a modern sensibility (despite a preponderance of flowery language and schematic female bonding and male buiying) make this a winning debute.(Publishers Weekly, June 2007)
Her uncle Gostaham (Rostam) is a master of the ancient art of carpet making, one of a skilled few favored by the king "Shah Abbas". He has made a furtune with his extraordinary designs and myriad colors, delighted to find that his new young charge is adept at the art of carpet making as well. He explains the philosophy of artisans such as himself: "Our response to cruelty, suffering and sorrow is to remind the world of the face of beauty". Although mother and doughter are subject to the harsh restrictions of his wife's houshold demands, Gostaham agrees to train the girl. Watching his student bloom under his tutelage, the master is thrilled, wishing she were a male to carry on his line. (Luan Gains, Dona Point, CA)
...She vows to make beautiful rugs on her own, and thus ensure her and her omther's financial security. She is banished from her uncle's house when she tells her friend about the marriage contract. She trusts a foreign merchant with her rug and he steals it. Now she must beg and find shelter and a way to begin a new rug. Like Sheherazade (Shahrzad), the heroine's mother is a master storyteller, telling tales within this tale that Amirrezvani tells so magically. Readers will not be able to put this book down, from the once-upon-a-time beginning to the well-crafted end. (Ellen Bell, School Library Journal, June 2007)
Bioghraphy: Anita Amirrezvani
She was borned on November 13, 1961 in Tehran. After her parants separated when she was two, she was raised by her mother in San Fransisco (CA). By 13 she began going to Iran and her father took her on a trip to Isfahan for two days. Between high school and college, Anita decided to take a year off and spend it in Iran (1979). The Following fall she started at Vassar College and after two and a half year she transferred to the University of California at berkeley, where she majored in English Literature.
She has been a writer and editor all her life. Before selling her novel (2006), she worked as dance critic and arts writer at two newspapers in the San Fransisco Bay Area. It took her about five years to get the end of the first draft of the Blood of Fllowers. As part of her research she spent a lot of time reading Iranian history and literature in university library stacks. She also asked her father to take her to Isfahan on two seperate occasions in order to be able to describe the location of her novel. With her family, she also visited the historic city of Bam before it was leveled down in the earthquake of 2003.
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(2010 /01 /10 )
Exhibition
DOMOTEX 2010 – HANNOVER, Oriental Carpets: Halls 19 - 23
From 16 to 19 January 2010 the Hannover Exhibition Grounds will provide the world’s leading tarade for carpets and floor coverings: domotex 2010.
"Approx. 1,400 companies from 60 countries are expected to exhibit at the next DOMOTEX. We have thus more or less equalled the results of the previous year, which we interpret as a clear sign that the trade acknowledges the event to be the leading international trade fair for this sector", says Stephan Ph. Kühne, member of the Board of Deutsche Messe AG. "Trade fairs reflect market trends, so we can see the general uncertainty about the current economic situation. Yet it is precisely during difficult times such as these that DOMOTEX - in its capacity as leading world trade fair - becomes really important. It has a major role to play in providing guidance and impetus for future growth. By introducing new keynote themes and special display settings to highlight trends and by creating strategic networking opportunities we are laying the basis for our exhibitors and trade visitors from the trade, the skilled crafts and architecture to find good business leads and initiate concrete deals."
Compared with virtually any other trade show, DOMOTEX HANNOVER is an extremely international event. For example, 80 percent of the exhibitors come from outside the host nation. It is therefore not surprising that suppliers from every continent regard DOMOTEX HANNOVER as by far the most important business summit of the year. Exhibitors from some sixty countries come to Hannover to conclude business deals and make new contacts. Germany is represented by the largest contingent of exhibitors, followed by Belgium, Turkey, India, the Netherlands, China and Italy. DOMOTEX also boasts a high level of international participation in terms of visitors. 61 percent of the visitors attending the last show came from other countries worldwide. 70 percent of all the trade visitors attending DOMOTEX 2009 came from senior management.
The main display categories at DOMOTEX HANNOVER are as follows:
Carpets/rugs (hand-made),Woven carpets/area rugs (machine-made), Textile and resilient floor coverings, Fibres, yarns and textiles,Wood and parquet floors, Laminated coverings and Laying skills, cleaning and application technologies.Various special presentations and seminars, as well as the renowned international architectural congress contractworld.congress, accompany DOMOTEX HANNOVER, adding to its interest and appeal with content and information geared to the needs of the different target groups Numerous international organizations, associations and professional bodies use the trade fair as a central venue for seminars, conferences, discussions and meetings of professional and industry associations.
Hand-made carpets now at the northern end of the Grounds
The display category "hand-made carpets" is being moved to exhibition halls at the northern end of the Exhibition Grounds as from DOMOTEX 2010. The new location in Halls 19 to 23 is beneficial to exhibitors and visitors alike. These halls can be accessed directly from the main entrance Nord 1, an entrance used by large numbers of visitors, and from the entrance West 3. The entrance Nord 1 is well connected to the Hannover public transport network and also offers ample parking. The location of the halls at the northern end of the site facilitates the restructuring of the exhibition, thereby making it easier for trade visitors to find the individual keynote displays. Roofed walkways between the halls make a round tour of this display category more convenient. Furthermore, the entire area will be extended and enhanced through the addition of new special displays.
Hand-made carpets will be the stars of the new trend-oriented installation "Souk Deluxe" (Hall 20), which has been designed by Jan Kath. Interior designers and other trade visitors will marvel at the highly creative and imaginative designs of some superb hand-made carpets.
AUTHENTIC, DRAMATIC, DECORATIVE and EXCLUSIVE: These are the four trend themes of the 2010/2011 season. The internationally acclaimed designer Ulf Moritz will be responsible for creating the setting for these installations at DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010 as part of the FLOORFORUM. Located in Hall 3, the FLOORFORUM is an impressive showplace for contemporary carpets and invites visitors to explore the colours, materials and designs that will set the trend in floor coverings for the season ahead.
Carpet Design Awards 2010
The Carpet Design Awards were a definite highlight of DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2009. Extraordinary quality and creativity in the handmade rug sector are the decisive factors in winning one of the prestigious Carpet Design Awards issued by Deutsche Messe. With DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010 the competition is open to all exhibiting companies. The carpets will be judged in ten categories by a jury of renowned experts who will rate the entries in terms of visual flair, quality of materials, product design, innovation and other criteria. The winners will be announced during DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010.
The top three entries in each category will be on display at DOMOTEX HANNOVER 2010 in Hall 21. The winners will be announced during the prize-giving ceremony on Sunday, 17 January at DOMOTEX HANNOVER. Each winner will receive EUR 1,000 and a trophy. The Carpet Design Awards are conducted in co-operation with "HALI - Carpet, Textile and Islamic Art" and "modern - Carpets and textiles for Interiors" and are supported by the European Carpet-Importers Association e.V. (EUCA).
The Jury:
John W. Bain (UK), Director of Brinton's Global Commercial Design, Montse Cuesta (ES), Chief Editor of Architectural Digest Spain, James A. Ffrench (USA), Director of Beauvais Carpets, Andreas Lübbe (DE), Head of Purchasing for Carpets and Lamps at Möbel Rieger GmbH & Co. KG, David Sorgato (IT), Founder of the Michail Gallery
The Categories: 1:Best Modern Design < € 100/m², 2:Best Modern Design € 100/m² to € 250/m²< 3:Best modern Design > € 250/m², 4:Best Traditional Nomadic Design < € 150/m², 5:Best Traditional Nomadic Design > € 150/m², 6:Best Traditional Workshop/Formal Design, 7:Best Old/Antique Carpet, 8:Best Modern Collection, 9:Best Traditional Collection, 10:Best Innovation
contractworld ten years old: new concept for leading forum on architecture
In 2010 contractworld will be more strongly oriented towards the networking needs of exhibitors and visitors. Talks and discussions will take place at various points throughout the contractworld area. This concept of decentralized activities will create diverse opportunities for exhibitors and visitors to meet and exchange ideas and information.
Themed seminars, guided tours for architects, interior designers and planners as well as crowd-pulling product presentations will give exhibitors greater scope for showcasing their products and meeting key target audiences and potential customers face to face. The contractworld.congress will feature various high-calibre speakers, among them some big international names in architecture and interior design, who will talk about the latest trends in the categories Offices/Administration buildings, Hotels/Spas/Catering facilities, Shops/Showrooms/Exhibition stands and the new, annually rotating keynote category Education/Training/Healthcare.
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(2010 /01 /20 )
Domotex 2010
40000 visitors for domotex 2010
Domotex 2010 ended with a substantial rise in attendance in Hannover. Over the four days of the show, some 40,000 professionals turned out to admire the products offered by 1,395 companies from over 70 different nations. "With exhibitor numbers holding steady and a 12 percent growth in visitor attendance, we have improved on last year's results in spite of the tough economic climate. Domotex has given the industry some real momentum and charted the way ahead for the coming year. The industry is starting 2010 on a confident note," remarked Stephan Ph. Kühne, member of the Deutsche Messe Managing Board and responsible for Domotex.
On behalf of the German Home Textiles Industry Association, Director Martin Auerbach commented: "In view of the prevailing economic conditions, last year the home textiles sector put a major emphasis on innovation. Domotex has provided us with an ideal showcase in which to present these products."
Dr. Ali R. Ipektchi, Chairman of the European Carpet Importers Association (EUCA), added: "The mood at this year's Domotex has been much more upbeat. Over the last two or three years many large firms were preoccupied with reducing their inventory levels. But now the big customers seem ready to order again. We are very pleased with the run of the show."
"The focus of the interior decoration products at Domotex2010 has been on sustainability, styling and status," commented Professor Axel Venn, the internationally renowned color and trend scout. "Carpets often serve as the centerpiece of modern living, bringing special coziness to the coffee table or inviting you to stretch out, relax and interact with others in front of the fireplace." Professor Venn also identified some clear trends for other types of flooring on display, for example, an increasing preference for parquet made of domestic wood displaying a highly visible grain. "This is indicative of a rising interest in natural authenticity," he explained.
22000 visitors from abroad
In a survey among visitors, as many as 89 percent stated playing an "advisory" or "decisive" role in their companies' purchasing decisions. As the flagship trade fair for the industry, DOMOTEX is also a vital marketing vehicle. "At DOMOTEX we can get the kind of product exposure in just four days that would otherwise take four months of business trips to find out. And thanks to the instant feedback, we know after just two days whether a particular innovation is likely to be successful," explained Emmanuel Lioen, Marketing Manager for the Beaulieu International Group, in Wielsbeke, Belgium.
Of the total of 22,600 visitors from abroad, over 60 percent came from European countries. Visitors once again showed a strong interest in handmade and machine-woven rugs and carpets as well as in textile and resilient floor coverings. Also very pleasing was a huge 30-percent rise in the sections of the show devoted to parquet and laminated flooring as well as installation, cleaning and application technologies.
Right decision for hand-made carpets
As also noted by Stephan Kühne, "relocating the hand-made carpets to halls 19 to 23 was an important step, and clearly the right decision." The direct connection with the busy North 1 main entrance further boosted the level of business activity in these halls. The new layout and improved orientation aids for visitors drew praise from the exhibitors. According to Dr. Ali R. Ipektchi: "The new site layout creates a more compact impression and adds value to the show. Walking through the halls becomes a more enjoyable experience, and if that translates into higher order volumes, we are obviously delighted with that outcome. These restructuring measures have made DOMOTEX even more efficient than ever."
Deutsche Messe now also stages its international DOMOTEX events in some of the world's fastest-growing economic regions, opening a window to some highly attractive markets for carpet and floor covering manufacturers. The twelfth DOMOTEX asia/Chinafloor - Asia's largest international flooring tradeshow - will take place again in Shanghai from 23 to 25 March 2010 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. DOMOTEX Middle East runs from 10 to 12 May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. The next DOMOTEX HANNOVER runs from 15 to 18 January 2011
Carpet Design Awards
On Sunday evening, 17 January, the trade fair DOMOTEX HANNOVER provided the setting for the presentation of the Carpet Design Awards (CDA) for 2010. Offering prize money amounting to 10,000 Euros, the Carpet Design Awards celebrate exceptional design, originality and quality in the market segment "Hand-made carpets". A total of 124 carpets from 15 countries were entered in the competition for this year's Carpet Design Awards. A panel of judges comprising internationally acclaimed experts selected the winning entries from the 30 carpets that went through to the final round. The prize-winners were announced during an entertaining award ceremony on Sunday by Stephan Ph. Kühne, member of the Board of Deutsche Messe AG, and Sebastian Ghandchi, Managing Director of Hali Publications.
The winners:
Category 1: Best Modern Design Standard
Chuk Palu Rugs, Burya
Category 2: Best Modern Design Superior
Zollanvari AG, Mirage
Category 3: Best Modern Design Deluxe
Theo Keller GmbH, Mosaic
Category 4: Best Traditional Nomadic Design Superior
Hanif Sons (Pvt) Ltd, Quicksand Caricature
Category 5: Best Traditional Nomadic Design Deluxe
Creation Roesner, Mrirt
Category 6: Best Traditional Workshop/Formal Design
Woven Legends, Inc./Özkent Hali, Tabriz
Category 7: Best Old/Antique Carpet
SMY (Amin Motamedi), Bijar rug
Category 8: Best Collection Modern
Jan Kath GmbH, Radi Deluxe Collection
Category 9: Best Collection Traditional
Woven Legends, Inc./Özkent Hali, Shirvan Collection
Category 10: Best Innovation
Angel Trading, On the Rocks
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