Introducing Zahir Shah's Design (bazo bandi or armband) in Turkmen Carpet of North Khorasan

Persian carpets have been decorated by the geometric and rotating designs throughout the history. Carpet weavers create the unique works with utmost skill and elegance in urban and rural areas that indicate part of their history and culture. Despite having some geographical and cultural differences, the designs used in tribal works have some similarities Turkmens are among the largest tribes who have done their best to keep their pure cultural assets. They have scattered in different countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, etc. and have left precious textures. Looking at these works, one can find common points with regard to colors and designs. Meanwhile, each tribe has its own specific design. Although Turkmens are sensitive to their tribal beliefs, some non-Turkmen textures are sometimes found among their woven works. One of these outstanding works is Zahir Shah’s design and the best form of it is woven by the tribe named ‘Tekeh’ settled in North Khorasan. The design used is a mixture of rural as well as Turkmen designs and is a reminder of the last Afghan king This is a descriptive-analytical study introducing the above-mentioned designs and their roots. The reason behind including Zahir Shah’s picture by ‘Tekeh’ tribe will be discussed as well.