Rug designs and motifs capture the rich legacy of the Silk Road, where nomadic tribes and merchants traveled for centuries across Afghanistan. Each rug weaves a story of a tribe, reflecting collective thoughts, experiences and emotions.
Weavers hand down patterns through generations. Arzu works to promote this legacy by connecting weavers to the global marketplace. 
Fibers
Arzu weavers work with the highest quality of hand-carded, handspun wool from Ghazni in central Afghanistan. Women separate individual strands of wool by hand to keep the fibers long. Handspun wool absorbs dye unevenly to produce variegated color and a textured surface on the rug. The charming irregularity of this natural fiber creates rugs that are individual and full of character.
Cotton fibers also play an important role in the rug weaving process because they are used for weaving the warp and weft of the rug. Most Arzu rugs are woven using cotton fibers, with the exception of the Tribal Collection. 
Dyes
Natural dyes create a palette of organic colors that are rich and harmonious. The purity of these colors are derived from vegetable and flower substances through a long and delicate process. Please visit
our green process page
to learn more. 
Knot Counts
Arzu weavers individually hand knot the rugs by using either a symmetrical/Turkish knot or an asymmetrical/Persian knot, depending on the design they are weaving. The proximity and density of the knots contribute to the fineness and durability of the rug. An increase of knots showcases the rug
s design. Arzu rugs range from 75 to 275 knots per square inch depending on the collection. 
Weaving
Afghan weavers, such as the Turkmen, are among the most respected in the world with a tradition spanning hundreds of years. Many women weave from memory, others from graphs. (We employ Turkmen and Hazara weavers)
All Arzu rugs are woven on looms in the weavers
homes, which can accommodate rugs ranging from 2
x 3
to 12
x 18
and various runner lengths. Each unique piece can take up to a year to make. 
Finishing Process
When the weaver has finished producing a rug, it is cut off the loom and taken to be finished. The rug is washed and sheered to a low pile, which unveils the beauty of the design.
This process not only reveals the natural shine and color variety of the wool fibers, but also causes the pile to take its natural smooth direction. Most rugs in our Traditional and Couture collections are finished with a low and slightly uneven pile that simulates the look and feel of antique rugs. Lastly, the fringes are shortened, reflecting the practice and preference in Afghanistan.
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