Gabbeh carpets are a traditional variety of Persian carpet. A Gabbeh a hand-woven pile rug of coarse quality and medium size (90 x 150 cm or larger) characterized by an abstract design that relies upon open fields of color and a playfulness with geometry. This type of rug is popular among tribes of the Zagros Mountains of Iran, including Luri and Qashqai tribes.

‘Gabbeh’ carpet is much thicker and coarser than other Persian carpets; sometimes it is as much as one inch in depth. In fact, it is more of a variety of sleeping rug than carpet. The word ‘Gabbeh’ comes from the Persian meaning raw, natural, uncut. This is a rough and primitive carpet. Gabbeh patterns are of a very basic kind with only a limited number of decorative, mostly rectangular objects resembling mainly animals. In Gabbeh usually bright colors, such as yellow and red, are used. Although large fields of solid color are used in Gabbeh designs, the color is variegated (the color varies throughout the rug). This color variation is called Abrash.

Gabbehs are made of natural, handspun wool yarn and all the colors are created with natural dye. Due to its relative ease of production (less precise pattern, small number of knots per square centimeter, etc.) a Gabbe is one of the less expensive varieties of Persian carpet compared with fine Tabriz or Isfahan rugs. These days weavers from Pakistan as well as India are making Gabbehs. 

If you have a Gabbeh rug in your home and it needs a cleaning bring it in to Rug Ideas for a deep cleaning that will get it thoroughly washed, sanitized and deodorized. We know how to take care of the thick pile on these types of rugs and have had half a century’s worth of experience to garner the expertise to do so!