As I sit shivering in the cold, I am jealous of the warmth of Jordan. You said there are two routes; Turkey-Syria-Jordan and Iran-Iraq-Jordan. I was wondering why the route from Iran -Iraq would go through Jordan, as it seems the long way around? From Baghdad they could go through Riyadh and on to Mecca. Or was the route you noted the more commercial trade route, safer and more populous?

Patrick Weiler

Right. I looked at my map. There is not a primary road from Baghdad to Riyadh, unless you pass from Kuwait, not a friendly boundary to cross, perhaps it’s not even open. And once in Riyadh, you still have at least 700 miles of desert to Mecca.
From Baghdad to Amman is a 10/12 hours trip in the desert. I am told that it’s no fun at all, but at least it is a modern highway with some traffic, mostly heavy trucks. From Amman the road is easier, they go down to Aqaba and from there they take the coast road, I guess, till Jeddah where Mecca is around the corner. A safer and more populous route to take, especially with those old buses.
Regards,

Filiberto

It does make sense that even taking the longer road would be less hazardous. The market you describe is a bit like our local flea markets but with fewer tacky T-shirts and more oriental rugs.

I have a rug (below) that was described to me by an Iranian-born rug dealer from Shiraz as a:
"Mecca Shiraz - semi-antique - at least 50 years old!"
However, it is probably no more than 30 years old and made in a Firuzabad workshop or elsewhere near Shiraz. It has Florid Fuchsia, Glorious Orange, Garish Green, Tacky Turquoise, Radioactive Red and Day-Glo Pink, among other previously undescribed colors.

It was one of the first rugs I ever bought and I thought the colors were delightful. It is made with a fully depressed wool warp and two thin pink cotton wefts for a very heavy and solid-as-a-board construction. This rug will not fold. It will only roll up. It is a Rock and Roll Disco Psychedelic Millefleurs Mecca Shiraz.

I do not know why this type of rug is described as a Mecca Shiraz, unless rugs like this were made for pilgrims to take with them to sell in Mecca, or if this description is used as a fanciful sales pitch. This rug would be quite heavy for a pilgrim to take to Mecca, as it is 8-1/2 x 5 feet and is very unwieldy to carry, even outside to photograph.

The description of the hajj pilgrimage going through Jordan, even though the Daghestanis did not participate in any numbers until after the fall of the Soviet Union, could help to explain the few examples of some currently more-available types of weavings making their way to the West in earlier years.

Fascinating topic.

Patrick Weiler

Your rug doesn’t look that bad in the picture.
If you want to see REAL garish stuff I can post a few images I was thinking to use for April 1st.
Or may be not. They are too crude. Le me know if you dare to see them.
Regards,

Filiberto