Zanjan is the capital of Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran. It lies 298 km north-west of Tehran on the main highway to Tabriz and Turkey. It was an important stop in the Silk Routes of Iran. The population of Zanjan consists mostly of Iranian Azerbaijanis who speak Turkish.
Zanjan is known for its beautiful handcrafts such as knives, traditional sandals. Zanjani artists make many things like various decorative dishes and their special covers as well as silver jewelry. In ancient times, Zanjan was known for its sharp knives. Many villagers today are traditional carpet weavers, perhaps Zanjan’s most popular handcraft.
The foundations of these rugs are either cotton or a cotton/wool mix. Colours used tend to be dark reds, browns and light blue with geometric designs which make them appear very similar to Bijar rugs. However the patterns of Zanjan rugs tend to be larger.