The Baharestan carpet was one of the most magnificent works of art in the history of Iran, which was destroyed in pieces and destroyed by the Arabs during the Arab invasion of Iran and its transfer to Medina.
Silk, gold, silver and jewels such as emeralds and pearls are used in the texture of Baharestan carpet, and its design shows one of the gardens of heaven.
There was a region in the west of Iran that included two cities, one on the left bank and the other on the right bank of the Tigris. The city that was built on the left bank was called Seleucia. At the opposite point, it was called Tisphon or Tisbon on the right bank of the Tigris. This vast city was the capital of the Sassanids and a collection of huge palaces built by Anushirvan, which included seven towns and were close to each other.
The Syrians called it "Ma Hawza Malka", some of the cities of the emperor, and the Arabs named it Mada'an after the defeat of the Iranians.
Surely, in palaces with this grandeur, equipments were made and provided to be worthy of the grandeur of these palaces; Among them, a carpet for the entrance hall of Kasari White Palace, which is one of the most magnificent and famous palaces, which, according to Ferdowsi, took nearly seven years to build, and Iranian and Roman engineers and architects were used to build it.
It was ordered by Khosrow Anoushirvan. Historians have mentioned the dimensions and area of this huge silk carpet in different sizes.
For example, it is stated in Dr. Moein's culture that it was more than 350 meters long. In Tabari's history, three narrations stated that the length of this carpet was 45 yards and its width was 90 yards. .
It was written in various articles and Mirkhwand in Rouzah al-Safa and in the book Farsh Iran by Shirin Sourasrafil, as well as in Edwards' book and in an article in Iran's Heritage magazine that the area of this carpet is 900 square meters.
Turaj Johle believes that it was a garib 60 yards by 60 yards wide, Balami says it was 300 yards high and 60 yards wide, and Professor Karabask mentions its area as 60 square meters. Well, according to the different dimensions of this carpet, the shape of this carpet will certainly change.
Its threads were woven from silk, wool, glabton, gold and silver and studded with thousands of jewels. From that point of view, this carpet is called Baharestan because it has the shape of a garden and in Persian its map is known as Baharestan, Golestan, Gulzar, etc. It represents its four parts.
In the description of the Baharestan carpet, which there are different theories, it is stated that the edge of this carpet is a water pond and a duck is sitting in the middle of the pond, and in its text, the streets and water tables were woven with water features and the cities are from among the gardens of Khorram. They passed by that it was surrounded by green fields and orchards full of fruits. The foliage of green trees and all kinds of buds and blossoms and thornless flowers and birds were decorated, all of which were made of pure gold and wire and colorful gems suitable for the spring season.
In the preparation of such an original and unique tableau, a gem was chosen according to its color, so that pearls were used to show the pebbles of the water, gold was used to show the soil, and crystal jewels were used to show the color of the water. And the trunks and branches of the trees were made of gold and silver, the leaves were made of emeralds, the flowers were made of silk, and the fruits were shown with precious and colorful stones.
According to Dehkhoda's writing, eighteen arsh (9 meters) of that carpet was decorated with rare jewels. One of the characteristics of that unique and precious carpet is that 24 masters and artists worked on it for 8 years, and according to these statements, they estimated the weight of this carpet to be more than 2 tons.
On the other hand, they say that there could not have been a carpet with such characteristics because, according to Edwards, there was no tree with this height (which, considering the existence of Persepolis, Taj Mahal, etc., there is no place for these statements)
Some people believe that the Baharestan carpet is probably a type of area rug, so it does not have piles, and in response to these people, it can be said that the technique of knotted carpet weaving has not changed in any way since ancient times, which dates back 2,500 years (Pazyrik carpet). . And it has been said somewhere that this carpet was woven in such a way that at first a number of weavers prepared for this carpet and started each piece separately by tying knots on the threads of this carpet, which can indicate that this carpet has It was lint.
On the other hand, it is mentioned in Tabari's history that the Arabs called it Qataf (which means a sleepy piled garment, which is the same as a carpet) and Mrs. Soor Esrafil believes that Baharestan was not a carpet but a curtain, but according to these statements that this carpet It has fluff, so it could not be a curtain.
