The Holy city of Qum has grown in renown and prestige over the years. There is even talk periodically about moving the capital from Tehran to Qum. The carpet weavers of Qum have certainly risen in prominence over the last 50 years. It is rare to see a Qum carpet of merit with any great age however the new Qum rugs rival the best in the world today.
Qum rugs are woven in workshops of Qum, a city of northwest central Iran. Since rug production did not begin in Qum until 1930s, Qum doesn't have any traditional designs of its own. Qum weavers prefer to weave the most favourable designs of other Persian weaving groups and sometimes Caucasian weaving groups and adjusting these designs to their own taste. It is possible for Qum rugs to be mistaken with Kashan or Isfahan rugs. However, they will not be mistaken with Tabriz rugs because Qum, Kashan and Isfahan rugs are woven with the asymmetric (Persian) knot and Tabriz rugs are woven with the symmetric (Turkish) knot. All silk, part silk/part wool, and kork (fine wool taken from the belly of sheep) Qum rugs are very well-known in Iran and abroad. The foundation of Qum rugs could be either cotton or silk.