The standard designs used by the Tekke vary according to the nature of the weaving.
Main Carpets. The Tekke gul was used almost exclusively as the major gul in the field of main carpets. Minor guls usually are either the chemche or gurbaghe (also called the kurbage) gul.
On Tekke carpets which were made up to ner the end of the 19th century, the major border is on a red ground and contains rows of octagons, usually filled either with four small eight-pointed stars (occasionally one large star) or with a kotchak-cross ornament.
The district of Shirvan produced many highly decorative antique rugs that have complexity that is found in few rugs from the Caucasus. Shirvan, which is part of modern-day Azerbaijan, was populated by Azeri Turks and some Armenians, who were expert dyers and weavers.
Grand symbol-filled medallions with polychrome accents are featured prominently as are all-over Afshan patterns, which are a sort of angular arabesque filled with dramatic harshang palmettes. Stunning allover patterns featuring symbolic devices and a latticework of angular floral sprigs are also used.
A subtype of the Kuba rug, antique Seychour (also known as Seichur and Zeychour) rugs are made in the small town of Yukhari-Zeykhur in Azerbaijan in the Northeast Caucasus. Known for the detailed precision of their drawing and design as well as for their saturated colors, antique Seychour rugs popularly display designs such as cabbage rose, tulips and the Seychour cross. Differing from other Caucasian rugs, antique Seychour rugs do not share the same symmetry in their borders.
Antique Persian Heriz/Serapi, hailing from the Iranian province of Eastern Azerbaijan and the encompassing Heriz region, hold a rich tapestry of history and craftsmanship. The village of Serab, nestled to the south of the Heriz region in North West Persia, is the venerable birthplace of these exquisite rugs.
Serapi, a term often reserved for the most exceptional antique rugs from the Heriz vicinity, has carved out a distinct niche in the world of rug connoisseurs.
Bakshaish Rugs - made in Persia, Bakshaish (Bakhshaish or Bakhshaysh) Rugs adapt the style and feeling of the finest smaller village or tribal rugs to the the scale of room-size pieces. The drawing of Bakshaish rugs and carpets is always bold, geometric, dynamic, and abstract. Bakshaish carpets may utilize medallion or allover designs descended from classical antique Persian rugs. Bakshaish carpets are also admired for their lustrous wool and rich, transparent color, again in the tradition of the best tribal pieces.
The city of Tabriz is situated in North West Persia and it is one of the largest cities and also the capital in the province of Azerbaijan and was the earliest capital of the Safavid dynasty, and it can claim to have been a center of carpet production longer than any other city in Iran. The population comprising of the Azaris, who are the largest ethnic minority in Iran and speak the Turkish dialect. The city is old and has for centuries been a very important trading place and border station.
A good Tabriz has a short and rough pile.
Antique Bidjar Rugs Bidjar is a town in Persian Kurdistan located in north-west Persia. All of the knots are symmetrical and the rows are beaten down during the weaving process producing a dense compact fabric. The many designs depict the Kurdish influence of the area and often floral and classical geometric motifs are employed as well as the use of large, whimsical medallion designs. The color palate is rich and jewel toned making the Bidjar a highly desirable rug sought after by designers. They are mostly made of wool over wool goundatio
