Grandma's Carpet Stories
ignor story
Great men and women, who have earned a place in history,
whether they are famous or infamous, are often elevated
from the confined bounds of history into the vast realm of
folklore by striking anecdotes and tales, which embellish
their heroic qualities.In the minds of simple people, these
national heroes, great warriors, and conquerors assume alm-
ost supernatural powers.
One such hero in Persian folklore is Shah Abbas, the
greatest king of the Safavid Dynasty. His reign (1587-1628)
is marked by some of the foremost achievements in architec-
ture and painting, and particularly by the production of
some of the fabulous Persian carpets ever made. The Safavid
period in general,and the reign of ShahAbbas in particular,
is often referred to as the Golden Era of Persian carpets.
Shah Abbas was a great patron of art and artists. His capi-
tal, Isfahan, is still a great attraction, owing to its im-
perial palaces and magnificent mosques of the Safavid era.
The city was so large and prosperous in his day that it was
nicknamed Nesfe-Jahan "half of the world."
Legend has it that Shah Abbas was so concerned about
the welfare of his subjects that he wouldnot rely solely on
reports submitted to him by his chancellor and other agents;
rather, he would ramble incognito and unguarded throughout
his capital,talking to ordinary people who would open their
hearts and share their feelings with him as if he were tru-
ly one of them.
On one such excursion, the king walked into a small
restaurant owned by a greedy man with murderous instincts
who, unbeknownst to his patrons, would serve Human flesh in
order to avoid paying the cost of beef or lamb . He would
cunningly trick unsuspecting victims into walking toward a
trap door in the floor of his establishment. The trap door
would open and the victim would plunge into a dungeon below.
There the restaurateur would feed his victims for a few
weeks and keep them motionless so that they would put on
weight and supply more flesh.When he visited the murderer's
establishment, Shah Abbas met this bitter fate.
The king's entourage at the royal court was highly
concerned about his inexplicable disappearance and while a
search was organized, uttermost efforts were taken to prev-
ent news spreading to the populace. Meanwhile, Shah Abbas
bravely fought the despair of his captivity and earnestly
explored the dim possibility of escape. At last he had an
idea.
Being a master carpet weaver and having realized that
his captor was illiterate, the king decided to seek his fr-
eedom through the restaurateur's greed.He pretended to have
accepted his ill fate and told his captor that instead of
spending his final days idly, he could make a fine carpet
for him which could be sold to the royal court at a very
high price.
Allowing his greed to cloud his better judgement, the
restaurateur acquired a makeshift loom and the material and
equipment required for a small carpet . Shah Abbas set to
work. Within a short time he finished a fine carpet. Disgu-
ised as the carpet's border design was the story of the
king's captivity, with details of where he could be found.
Confusion and despair at the royal court was nearing
a breaking point when the restaurateur appeared at the gate,
presenting the fine carpet for sale. The chancellor was im-
mediately advised of the message woven in carpet. Thereupon
the restaurateur was apprehended and Shah Abbas rescued,
all thanks to the king's dexterity with the carpet loom.
The moral of this story is an apt one on Persia:
Although academic achievement is a noble goal, it is manual
skill in some craft that will come to one's aid in times of
need. And what craft could be more noble in Persia that of
the carpet maker?
Take a
look at this rugs