A vintage Persian mahal rug from the mid-20th century. The sultanabad/arak rug weaving area produces several grades of decorative carpets and in the middle lies mahal. Below are the mushkabad rugs, low quality carpets rarely seen in america and primarily destined for middle eastern markets. Above is the sarouk rug, with high quality wool and a very firm and compact weave. These were intended for the american consumer. Off to the side are the antique ziegler sultanabad rugs. In the center are the mahal rugs. ‘Mahal’ is originally arabic for ‘place,’ but how the rug type got that name is obscure, but maybe from the village of mahallat where formerly these antique carpets were woven. More recently it has been weaving sarouks, a higher margin product. Today, most mahal weavings emanate from dulakhor and farahan villages. The mahal rug is a 20th century creation and most examples date from the 1920s. Often mistaken, the ziegler style sultanabad rugs are not the lineal ancestors to the mahal rugs.