Symbolic significance of star pattern in Islamic carpets

During the Islamic era, carpet designers, influenced by the aesthetics of this religion, opted for the designs and patterns reflecting the Islamic concept of spirituality and monotheism. One of the oldest patterns that have been used in such designs is star shape, which has been applied in different forms in most of the Islamic artworks. This symbol is also of historical significance since it was used in different places, especially Iran, even in the pre-Islamic eras in order to convey particular concepts. The frequent use of star figure in the backgrounds, margins, medallions, and corners of different types of carpets in the Islamic era underscore the importance of investigating this pattern from aesthetic and symbolic points of view. The present study aimed to identify the various types of star patterns and examine their position in the Islamic carpets through investigating the carpets entailing this shape. In other words, this research was targeted toward determining the symbolic significance of star pattern in Islamic carpets and the manner of its utilization. This research sought to create awareness regarding the symbolic elements used in the Iranian carpet. One of the sources that has dealt with this topic is a book titled Kilim (Hall & Vivoska, 1998), according to which the star is generally a sign of happiness. Eight-pointed stars are most often observed in the Anatolian rugs due to technical principles and limitations. In a book entitled ‘Masterpieces of Fars Rugs’ (1996), Syrus Parham writes that stars, especially the eight-pointed star, plays a major role in the carpets produced in Fars.