$2,400
Maimana is a market town in NW Afghanistan. It serves and is at the confluence of the valleys that go right up the Hindu Kush. This is the last, the extreme western edge of the range of mountains, Himalya, Pamir Hindu Kush.
The people are mostly Uzbek farmers with a few sheep which sets them apart from the Turkoman of the nearby drier climate steppes who specialise in sheep. The Uzbek make flat woven kelim and the Turkoman are famous for their red pile rugs. The Uzbek household is surrounded by high walls and there is a free standing platform under the trees in the garden that we’d call a deck on which tea and biscuits and lunch are served for most of the year. The kelims are mostly made for these decks. Inside the houses a light futon is a floor covering. The kitchen is seperate from the house and bedrooms.
The wool is handspun and dyed by the Uzbeks themselves. They use mostly vegetal sources and make sure there is no running dye so they can have food served and be regularly washed.
In stock
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hello@therugshop.com.au / 02 6687 2424
Free Shipping within Australia.
Your rug will be shipped within 1-3 business days and should arrive within 3-5 business days from the ship date. Multiple items within the same order may not arrive together.
When your order is processed, you will receive an email containing a tracking number and dispatch confirmation.
Domestic shipping we use TNT express couriers & Aus post.
International shipping we use INTERPARCEL.
Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are considering a return. Buyer is responsible for return postage cost. Any returns must be unused and in original of when purchased.
No returns on our “Clearance” rugs or any rugs on sale.
There is something quietly resolute about the Afghan Maimana Kelim Rug. It does not shimmer with silk or parade florals across a polished field. Instead, it speaks in the language of structure and colour—geometric, grounded, and full of motion. Woven entirely by hand in northern Afghanistan, these flatwoven textiles belong to the earth, the wind, and the footsteps of those who pass over them. They are tribal compositions of function and expression—woven to last, designed to speak.
At The Rug Shop, we consider the Afghan Maimana Kelim Rug a standard bearer for living folk art. These pieces are not reproduced from ancient palace designs; they are contemporary traditions, made in the homes of Turkmen and Uzbek families in the town of Maimana and its surrounding villages. Every line is personal. Every rug is unique. And the colours—never brash, never synthetic—carry the soul of the land.
The Afghan Maimana Kelim Rug is a flatweave, meaning there is no pile. The design is created entirely through interwoven weft and warp threads, in a technique that dates back thousands of years. But while the structure may be ancient, the energy in these rugs is unmistakably modern.
The rug’s format—long and narrow—is suited for corridors, stairwells, or anywhere the eye travels. The geometric patterns, often composed of stepped diamonds, serrated medallions, and totem-like columns, guide the gaze forward. These are rugs of movement, direction, and intention.
And yet, within this order, there is improvisation. The weaver—usually a woman, working from memory rather than map—may vary a border, adjust a repeat, or introduce a new colour mid-way. The result: no two Afghan Maimana Kelim Rugs are the same. Each one is a woven story of that particular day, that particular mind, that particular loom.
What sets the Afghan Maimana Kelim Rug apart is its palette. The dyes are natural, drawn from roots, leaves, bark, and flowers. Madder gives red, walnut husks yield brown, pomegranate rind offers soft yellow, and indigo brings its classic midnight hue. These colours are not garish—they glow.
Particularly striking is the way these tones interact with the undyed wool—creamy, soft, and full of tonal variation depending on the sheep. In one rug, you may see sharp black zigzags chasing through terracotta diamonds. In another, mustard gold anchors a frame of burnt rose and soft blue. Some use a cool palette, with mossy greens and cloud greys. Others dance in sun-warmed tones—peach, rust, and apricot.
The best Afghan Maimana Kelim Rugs possess this balance: earthy but lively, structured but spontaneous. It is a harmony you don’t tire of.
Located in the Faryab province of northwest Afghanistan, Maimana is not a large city—but it is one with deep textile roots. It sits at a cultural crossroads, where Turkic, Persian, and nomadic traditions overlap. The rugs woven here reflect that fusion: they are tribal in spirit, but refined in execution.
For centuries, Maimana has produced kilims for both local use and trade. They were made not for courts or collectors, but for homes—for warmth, for celebration, for dowries, and for daily life. Today, the tradition continues. Families still weave together, and young girls learn the motifs from their mothers and aunts. It is a form of literacy not taught in schools, but on the loom.
The Afghan Maimana Kelim Rug is a living product of this legacy. It is not a replica. It is the thing itself.
While modern manufacturing continues to chase uniformity, the Afghan Maimana Kelim Rug remains defiantly human. The slight irregularities in shape, the hand-joined panels, the minor misalignments—these are not defects. They are character. They are the proof that what you are looking at was made by hand, over weeks or months, by someone sitting cross-legged on the floor, weaving life into pattern.
At The Rug Shop, we are proud to carry these rugs—not because they are trendy, but because they are true. They remind us that beauty doesn’t always come from precision. Sometimes it comes from the rhythm of hands, the patience of process, and the confidence to let colour speak.
Can I get the same rug in a different size?
Each of our rugs is an individual, hand made work of art because of that it is not possible for us to have duplicates in different sizes.
How are your rugs made?
All of our rugs are 100% Handmade on a loom. We have created a close relationship with all of the craftspeople who make our rugs which allows us to get the highest quality rugs directly from the people who made them.
Are your rugs new/used?
We offer a variety of both new and used Persian rugs from many areas including Persia, Turkey, and Morocco see below for more info on locations.
NEW: We support over 30 families in Afghanistan who produce the highest quality Persian rugs.
OLD ANTIQUE VINTAGE: We source our used rugs from village and tribal families at source. As well as attend worldwide auctions. We have formed relationships with Persian rug collectors that allow us to get incredible pieces that are not normally on the market.
Can I try before i buy?
We have a “try before you buy” system for approved customers.
Where are your rugs from?
Afghanistan, Persia, Pakistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Morocco etc.
