Thursday, May 11, 2017

The eye-catching Ghalamkar textiles of Isfahan.

With more than 300 years antiquity, Ghalamkar (also known as Qalamkar, Persian Tapestry or Persian textile printing) is one of the most wonderful Iranian handicrafts which was invented during the Safavid dynasty in the splendid city of Isfahan. Some believe that Ghalamkar’s antiquity roots back to 5th Hijri century.

The floral motifs on Ghalamkar textiles of Isfahan.
Ghalamkar textiles. Isfahan-Iran


Ghalamkar or Persian Tapestry is the masterly art of printing elegant floral motifs on burlap textiles with natural fibers. The motifs are printed with wooden stamps made by the Ghalamkar artists and the colors used in making Ghalamkar textiles are extracted from natural dyes like madder and turmeric. After printing the motifs, they put the textile in big pots filled with boiling water and mordant to fix the colors on the textile. The outcome is a charming textile covered with subtle spirals, dancing flowers and leaves that resemble Eden and amaze every visitor. Ghalamkar textiles are used as bags, shawls and decorative sheets and are widely seen in houses of Iranians.

While traveling in Isfahan which is known as the capital of Persian handicrafts, make sure to visit a Ghalamkar workshop and see how skillfully the Ghalamkar masters create these valuable handicrafts. 


Travelers watching Ghalamkar textiles of Isfahan. Iran
Ghalamkar textiles. Isfahan-Iran

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