Rugs or carpets produced during the period of the Safavids, the dynasty that took control of Persia (now modern Iran) in the early 16th centuryand ruled from 1501 to ca. 1739. Many consider this the high point in Persian carpet design and manufacture. No certain examples of 9th/15th-century examples may survive. Safavid rug weaving is characterized by arabesques developed initially in manuscript illumination and architectural décor. Documentary evidence indicates that these tended to rely on a large central medallion format developed in the last phase of Timurid rug production. Scholars have attributed the centers of Safavid weaving to the major cities or centers of power.
