Cultural Identity: How Persian Rugs Reflect Iran's Cultural, Spiritual, And Artistic Ethos

Abstract

This review article critically examines the cultural identity explained through Persian rugs, particularly emphasising their visual function of Iran’s artistic, spiritual, and societal values. Focusing on Islamic-Persian carpets from the Ilkhanid, Timurid, and Safavid dynasties, the study explores how design elements—such as motifs, composition, and chromatic schemes, encode layers of religious symbolism and cultural meaning. The analysis is grounded in a multidisciplinary literature review supported by visual interpretation of historical artifacts. Findings show that Persian rugs transcend their utilitarian origins, serving as enduring cultural signifiers and expressions of Iranian cosmology. The review article also addresses regional stylistic design, intercultural influences through the Silk Road, and the contemporary transformations in rug design production, with continued relevance in historical scholarship and modern culture.