Oriental Rugs Dictionary
Bokhara, Bukhara
Bokhara rugs are associated with the city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan, which historically served as a major trading center for Turkmen carpets. The term “Bokhara” is commonly used in the rug trade to describe carpets featuring the Turkmen gul motif, a repeating octagonal design arranged across the field. Many rugs sold as Bokhara carpets are actually woven by Turkmen tribes such as the Tekke, Yomut, and Ersari, rather than in the city of Bukhara itself. An ancient city and emirate of West Turkistan, presently in Uzbekistan. The name is often used to describe Turkoman rug styles. Bokara was an important rug trading and shipping center in the 19 Century. A few scholars have attributed rugs to Bokhara, but such attributions are questionable.
