Of all rugs Caucasian Prayer Rugs are some of the most popular. Here I mean to gather together my notes on them and in time flesh the notes out with more detail. If you want it all faster get a copy of Kaffel, Ralph. Caucasian Prayer Rugs. London, UK. Laurence King in Association with Hali, 1998

At the beginning of the 19th Century most of the land between Kazak and Erevan was part of the Erevan Khanate. This was the hereditary seat of the Qajar tribe. A massive shift occurred in a series of wars Russia moved through the Caucasus driving the Moslems south. These tribesmen were a mix of Qajar and Afshar and other Azeri Turks. By 1830 there were about 300 abandoned villages in northern Erevan. As the Moslems moved south the Armenians moved north taking the abandoned villages and their new homes. Because of the desperate need to make money Armenian weavers turned out a huge amount of rugs for export. Many of these rugs were prayer rugs

Kazak Prayer Rug White prayernish à la Markarian

• a-Bey Antique 19th Century Kazak Prayer Rug
• Kazak Prayer Rug with hands
• The Rippon Boswell Kazak Prayer Rug
• The James C. Allen Type b Karachopf Kazak
• The Uri Jacobi S Border Kazak rug
• The Kimble Kazak Prayer Rug last quarter 19th century lot 54
• The Willborg Armenian Kazak Prayer Rug
• Kazak Prayer Rug White prayernish à la Markarian
• Sotheby's Kazak Prayer Rug 9/1/02 Lot 320
• Skinner's Kazak Prayer Rug Lot 58 w/hands
• The Willborg Armenian Kazak Prayer Rug
• The Alberto Levi Karachop Kazak prayer rug
• Sotheby's Kazak Prayer Rug 9/1/02 Lot 320
• Opposing Mihrabs Kazak rug 19th C.
• Armenian Kazak Double Niche Prayer Rug
• Kazak Prayer Rug with hands
• The Alberto Levi Karachop Kazak prayer rug Hands and feet

Bordjalu rugs are from the section of Georgia that was Armenian in the 19th century. They are closely related to Kazak Rugs and are Armenian in origin.

Adil Besim Bordjalu

• Bordjalou prayer rug late 19th c Lot 110

• Kazak Borchalo Prayer Rug,

• The Franz Bausback 4 Horse Gardabani Kazak rug

• Skinner's Bordjalou dbl. diamond Kazak Prayer Rug

• Antique Bordjalu Kazak Prayer Rug

• Kazak Prayer Rug White prayernish à la Markarian

• Stefano Filippi Bordjalu Prayer Rug

• Sotheby's Bordjalu Kazak Tschebull's pl. 20

• Sotheby's Gardabani Kazak rug lot 5

The James C. Allen Fachralo Kazak Prayer Rug

For all types visit my Guide to Fachralo Kazak Rugs

• The Oliveira Fachralo Kazak

• The Oliveira Fachralo Kazak Rug

• The James C. Allen Fachralo Kazak Prayer Rug

• The Dana Pollard Fachralo Kazak prayer rug

• The James C. Allen Fachralo Kazak Prayer Rug

• Fachralo Kazak "Prayer" Rug,

• The Rippon Boswell Kazak Prayer Rug

• Sotheby's Fachralo Kazak rug lot 185

• JP Willborg Fachralo Kazak Rug

• The Hort 1904 Kazak Rug, Fachralo?

• The Woolley and Wallis So-called Fachralo Kazak

• T-Meander Border Kazaks Attributable to Fachralo?

• Sotheby's Fachralo Kazak Rug w/ T-Meander Border
• Sotheby's Fachralo Kazak 4/10/80 Lot 1

Antique Shirvan-Marasali Prayer Rug

Marsali Rugs are included in the Azeri group and may be very similar to Shirvan rugs. Daghestan Prayer rugs can look very similar but have a ribbed back where you may expect a flat back in a Azeri rug.

• The Vance Jordan Marsali Shirvan Rug lot 22

• Antique Shirvan-Marsali Prayer Rug

• The Donald Richardson Marsali Prayer Rug

• Gold Field Floral Lattice Marsali Prayer Rug

• Late 19th C. Marsali Rug Rippon-Boswell lot 152

• A rare Marasali prayer rug (fragment)

• Guide To Marasali Rugs

• Antique Marsali Prayer Rug

The Hagop Manoyan Akstafa Prayer Rug

Akstafa rugs are made in the Azeri area north of Kazak and into the adjoining areas of Georgia. Akstafa rugs are closer to Shirvan rugs then they are to Kazak since the Akstafa rugs are Azeri and Kazak rugs are woven by Armenians.

For more information visit my Guide to Akstafa Rugs

• An Akstafa Prayer Rug lot 30 Apr 02

• An Akstafa Prayer Rug lot 274 Oct 02

• The Hort 1870's Akstafa Prayer rug

The Hort 1850 - 1874 Shirvan Prayer Rug

Shirvan rugs are the largest group of Azeri rugs in the Caucasus. Since they are Azeri they hold similarities to other Azeri rugs such as Akstafa and Marsali rugs.

• The Woodmen Shirvan Prayer Rug

• An Azeri Shirvan Rug lot 21

• Nagel Shirvan prayer rug 19th C. Lot 25

• Nagel Shirvan prayer rug mid 19th C. Lot 23

• A Shirwan Prayer Rug ca. 1850 - Hands

• A Shirvan Prayer Rug circa 1890 - Hands

• The Hort 1850 - 1874 Shirvan Prayer Rug

• The Victoria & Albert Karagashli Prayer Rug

Daghestan Prayer Rugs

Prior to the coming of the Russians Daghestan was only the Mountainous area of what is now Daghestan and the flat area near the sea was Derbent. When the Russians set up their administrative districts they combined the two and called it Daghestan. I should have more Daghestan rugs and I might. The problem is that Daghestan prayer rugs can look like Shirvan rugs or even Marsali rugs. The key to identification is that the Daghestan rugs have a deeply ribbed back. On a Kuba rug look for warp depression of about 45 to 70 degrees and Daghestan rugs to be over 70 degrees.

• Daghestan Prayer rug, East Caucasus d. 1834 Lot 5
• Daghestan Rug, North East Caucasus d. 1845 Lot 27
• Daghestan rug, North East Caucasus, c. 1890 Lot 32
• Daghestan Prayer rug, North East Caucasus Lot 9
• Daghestan prayer rug Lot 226

This is not a real group. I just felt like grouping Caucasian Prayer rugs with hands just for the fun of it.

• Shirvan Prayer Rug w/hands late 19th c. Lot 176

• A Shirvan Prayer Rug circa 1890 - Hands

• A Shirwan Prayer Rug ca. 1850 - Hands

• Kazak Prayer Rug with hands

• The Alberto Levi Karachop Kazak prayer rug Hands and feet

• Kazak Prayer Rug with hands

• Skinner's Kazak Prayer Rug Lot 58 w/hands

Karabagh Prayer Rugs

• Karabagh Striped Prayer Rug 19th c. Lot 40
• A Shusha Prayer Rug Karabagh late 19th C.