An early 20th Century square size colorful Sultanabad mahal rug Details rug no. 8265 size 8' 9" x 10' (267 x 305 cm) In the late 1800s, in Sultanabad, a small town in NW Persia, a Swiss firm, the Ziegler Company, based in Manchester, England set up shop. This innovative company began importing Persian carpets to England and America, appealing to the demanding western tastes. There rugs are similar to mahals but are distinguished by their sparsely drawn, large scale, oversized designs and use of soft colors. They are lovely rugs that are enormously popular with decorators.