Rug
| Object Name: | Rug |
|---|---|
| Place Made: | Asia: West Asia, Iran, Eastern Iran, Khorasan, Meshed |
| Period: | Late 20th to early 21st century |
| Date: | 1980 - 2007 |
| Dimensions: | L 143 cm x W 85 cm |
| Materials: | Wool |
| Techniques: | Knotted pile; plain woven; weft-float; fringed |
| ID Number: | T2008.1.16 |
| Credit: | Gift of Max Allen |
Ahmad Shah Massoud (1953-2001) was a Kabul University engineering student turned military leader, and he played a major role in driving the Soviet army from Afghanistan. Massoud was an ethnic Tajik who was widely respected throughout Afghanistan. He was killed in Afghanistan by two “journalists” – actually Saudi nationals working with al-Qaeda – just two days before the September 11th attacks in the United States. The first line of writing on the rug says: Glad tidings of freedom, 22 Aqrab 1380 (2001). The date in the emblem at the top of the rug is 2000. The second line of writing says: The Cultural Forum. The third line says: Massoud’s land, presumably referring to Afghanistan. And the fourth line is a telephone number in Mashad: 98-511-823754. In the lower left corner, the text says: Always with Massoud. Long Live Afghanistan. This rug, and several similar ones, are said to have been made by a rug-weaving family in Mashad, which is Iran’s second largest city, near the border with Afghanistan.
