Light Blue Mamluk Rug
This light blue Mamluk rug was double hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 181 x 125 cm. Its pale blue field sits inside a wide red border with a small blue and cream lattice.
The design up close
The centre of this light blue Mamluk rug holds a red and cream octagonal medallion with a pale blue star at its heart. Red medallions with pale blue centres sit at the top and bottom, and cream and gold roundels stand at the sides of the field. Between them, small square cells carry rosettes and lattice in red, cream and blue, so the field reads as a patchwork of motifs.
The red border is the deepest colour in the rug. Its lattice is made of small pale blue and cream motifs, a thin navy line runs along its inner edge, and a narrow pale edge sits at the very outside.
On this light blue Mamluk rug, the red border and central medallion carry most of the contrast, and the pale field keeps the design calm. The navy line keeps the border from merging with the red, and the cream and gold roundels sit clearly against the field.
Where the Mamluk design comes from
The Mamluks ruled Egypt and Syria from 1250 to 1517. Carpets woven in Cairo from the late 15th century, and into the 16th, are known for medallions built from octagons, stars and small geometric shapes. Weavers in Afghanistan revive these designs today, and this light blue Mamluk rug keeps the octagon medallion and cell layout.
How a light blue Mamluk rug is made
Each knot is tied by hand on a loom, row after row, and the pile is then sheared level. Our records note a double hand knot and vegetable dyes. Lamb’s wool gives the pile a soft hand, and the small cells of the design show clearly on its surface. The field is a soft powder blue, so the design shows evenly across the rug.
Sizing it for your room
At 181 x 125 cm the rug covers about 2.3 square metres. Across the foot of a queen bed, 153 cm wide in Australia, its 181 cm length overhangs by about 14 cm on each side. In a living room, a light blue Mamluk rug this size suits an armchair, with the chair’s front legs resting on the pale field. A pale blue ground sits well with grey or white walls. It also suits a bedroom with light timber furniture.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the knots. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly. Blot spills with a clean white cloth and cold water rather than rubbing them in. When it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand.
Put a good underlay beneath it. It stops the rug sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, such as the part of a rug under a sofa, so vacuum those areas often and lift the furniture now and then.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see light blue Mamluk rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Mamluk Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Mamluk carpets.
