No, as we have a Label STEP fair trade license we need to be sure that every rug and kilim we sell is sourced correctly and we have no way of knowing where a second hand rug may have been acquired.
No, as we have a Label STEP fair trade license we need to be sure that every rug and kilim we sell is sourced correctly and we have no way of knowing where a second hand rug may have been acquired.
Yes, but not often. We only have a few older rugs and kilims, some 100+ years old. Over 95% of our rugs are new, often freshly cut and all cleaned thoroughly before being sent to us. We can get older rugs in any size if you require them and don’t mind waiting for them to be found and sent from Afghanistan.
The Northern Provinces of Afghanistan. Our rugs are sent from our supplier in Mazar-e-Sharif and he buys them locally and from the weavers markets mainly in Andkhoy, Aqcha, Shebergan, Maymana and Kunduz. Most of these places are within a few hours’ drive of Mazar-e-Sharif and act as centres for trade for surrounding villages and towns looking to sell their weavings.
The biggest rug we have been supplied to date is a 6.5m x 4.5m rug. Rugs around the 6x4m size are generally only ever purchased by provincial governors as they require a large property to accommodate them. Rugs of this size – depending on quality are around £10,000+
Yes we send rugs worldwide, however additional postage costs will apply. Please also be aware that if you require an international delivery then there may be additional import taxes and duties to be paid. The customer is responsible for any additional import costs and if you are unsure, we advise you contact the relevant countries customs office for further details.
Yes, to a degree. Please see our Cleaning and Repair page for further tips for basic care.
Our hand-knotted rugs and kilims, if taken care of, will last several generations and are very hard-wearing. In Afghanistan its common to see the roads near the rug shops littered with rugs and the cars and trucks driving over them, and the rugs occasionally moved and repositioned every few hours. This helps the wool fibres of the newly made rugs open up and gives the rug a brighter sheen. After a day or so the rugs are sent for cleaning and the traffic has had the same effect as a year or so of regular foot traffic. They will outlive you and your children as long as they are kept clean and away from moths.
Like most products they vary in price depending on quality. However, as a very general guide a lot of our rugs are roughly £300 per sq m. We have some at cheaper prices, often the more plain rugs with larger knots and less dyes, such as Gabeh’s, which roughly £200 per sq m. We also have rugs at higher prices such as £450 per sq m due to the quality of the fine spun wool, intricacy of the designs, knots and dyes.
Kilims are less expensive than our rugs, as a general rule they are roughly £150 per sq metre. Kilims are lighter embroideries/tapestries and there is less work involved in their production. Some more plain and basic designs and some rougher wools will result in a £125 per sq metre, whereas the more intricate designs that take longer naturally cost more, some of ours are a much as £250 (maliki kilim) and £300 (mashwani kilim) per sq metre so can sometimes be as expensive as the rugs.
A rug is knotted weave, with a pile, where the wool fibres stand upright. A kilim is a flatweave/slitweave or tapestry/embroidery depending on the method used to make it and the pile therefore lays flat.
Nomadic tribes in Afghanistan generally use kilims as they spend half the year in the mountains and half the year ini the plains, so a kilim is easier to carry. A knotted rug is much heavier and used mainly by permanent dwellers.
01422 843331
enquiries@theafghanrugshop.co.uk
7 Market Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks, HX7 6EU
Opening Hours
Open 7 Days: 10am – 5pm
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The Afghan Rug Shop in Hebden Bridge can call itself unique for several reasons. It’s believed to be the only rug shop outside Afghanistan itself that sells rugs solely from that country. It’s the only shop in Britain granted Label-STEP accreditation (guaranteeing fair and ethical trade in the worldwide rug business); but most especially for the story of how it came into being. ‘In 2004 I volunteered to work with the UK Provincial Reconstruction Team (UK PRT) in the Northern Provinces of Afghanistan, and served there for six months. We were there to provide security and to assist with the demilitarisation process, reintegrating people into work and to oversee the provision of contracts to local companies to repair their infrastructure, making sure the process was fair. It was a very worthwhile and rewarding experience,’ says shop owner James Wilthew.
Working in the Northern Provinces, the main rug-making region, he met many people involved in the silk and wool-weaving industry, the focus of enormous investment targeted at developing the economy while maintaining traditional craft skills. ‘Whenever we had time we made a point of dropping into the rug shops, sitting with the owners to drink tea and chat. I bought a load of rugs myself, many of which I sold on to help pay for my wedding,’ he says. James thought no more about the business until 11 years later when he moved from London to the Calder Valley with his family. ‘Hebden Bridge is a beautiful tourist town, with predominantly independent shops offering lots of unique products and bespoke services. It’s like a little Knightsbridge of the north,’ says James. ‘We thought an Afghan rug shop could work here, so we took the gamble.’
Finding the right premises was relatively straight forward, securing stock less so. ‘It took about four months of searching on social media to track down my friend Rafi, from whom I had bought most of my rugs in 2004. I sent him some money, he sent me some rugs. We took a chance on one another, and it is working well for both of us,’ says James. ‘I’m now importing half a tonne of rugs every two months, direct from the weavers markets in Mazare-Sharif, Andkhoy, Maymana, Aqcha, Kholm and Kunduz.’ Rafi has the contacts that get him the finest products and, as he deals direct, there are no middlemen adding hugely to the cost. ‘I got an email recently from Rafi saying I probably didn’t realise just how many families I was supporting in Mazar-e-Sharif, which is both heart-warming and daunting.’
His range provides a riot of colour not, as James is keen to point out, just the red patterns most often associated with Afghan rug-makers. ‘I have blue and green rugs, cream rugs, pink rugs, you name it we have it – or can get it. If customers don’t mind waiting a few months they can have the exact colours, shape and size they’re after, custom made.
A local upholsterer transforms kilims into everything from doorstops to wing-backed chairs, footstools and scatter cushions. And a leather worker also makes him hand-stitched kilim/leather handbags and overnight bags. ‘They’re handmade in Afghanistan and hand-finished in West Yorkshire, supporting local businesses at both ends,’ adds James. He even imports the stunning blue semiprecious stone, lapis lazuli, mined in Afghanistan’s north-east for millennia – that the shop logo and colour scheme is based on. James works with Rafi not just because of the trust between them, but because they share ethical outlooks; Rafi was recommended initially because he was known for his fair dealing when James was in the country. ‘We’re the only Label-STEP approved carpet shop in the UK.
Other oriental type rug shops buy from too many sources, too many countries for approval to be practical. The Label-STEP representatives in Afghanistan have interviewed Rafi and the weavers, washers, dyers, spinners and cutters, including visiting their homes and workshops to ensure they are paid correctly and have ethical work practices in place.’ James is backing up that stance by working towards becoming a corporate sponsor of Afghan Aid (afghanaid.org) with a percentage of his profits paid directly to the charity. He’s passionate about the need for fairness in the trade, and what the work means to the economy and traditions of Afghanistan. But he’s just as passionate about the products themselves which, like his shop, offer customers something unique. ‘It’s really important that my customers can see how we source our rugs and how, in return, we directly support the people and producers in the Northern Provinces.