For those who are looking to purchase either Persian rugs or Oriental rugs, it can be a little confusing at first until you understand the differences. The first thing you should know is that all Persian rugs are Oriental rugs, but not all Oriental rugs are Persian rugs. That is become Oriental rugs are the larger family that Persian rugs belong.

Oriental rugs are hand-knotted and produced in Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, India, Pakistan, and China. Iran was once known as Persia and that is the only place where Persian rugs are made. The first distinction between a Persian and an Oriental rug is where it originates. Only if it came from the modern country of Iran is it a Persian rug.

A Persian rug is considered the best sub-group in Oriental rugs in terms of its high-quality materials and intricate designs. Over the centuries, Persian rugs have been highly prized for their quality, beauty, and durability. If you are shopping for a Persian rug, you will need to have a basic understanding of Persian and Oriental rugs, their composition, value, and differences.

Persian Rugs

Although part of the same family as Oriental rugs, the Persian versions have some significant differences in terms of their design, pattern, and material. There are four major types of Persian rugs, named after the villages or towns where they were created or popularized;

• Heriz
• Kashan
• Kerman
• Tabriz

The townspeople put their own unique vision into the rugs, creating vibrant colors that highlighted the work of four or five craftsmen who took over a year to make each one. This is a subtle difference compared to other Oriental rugs which tend to reflect the region and customs of where they were made as opposed to the town in which they were crafted.

Hand Knotted

One of the ways you can distinguish a Persian rug from an Oriental rug is by the use of hand-knots. If the dealer is honest and knowledgeable, they should be able to tell you if the rug is hand knotted. However, there are some obvious signs.

• You can count the knots per square inch fairly easily
• The bottom is the same material as the top pile
• The bottom is a mirror-image of the top pile

In addition, fringes are either glued or sewn onto the rug itself. You may also see a piece of canvas or cotton along the bottom of the rug. A synthetically produced rug will have a hard-plastic backing which means it was not hand knotted.

Also, beware of terms that sound similar to hand knotted, such as “hand crafted”, “hand-made” or “hand-loomed”. All these terms do not mean that the rug was hand knotted. In fact, the terms may be quite deceptive as rugs constructed by machines with human operators can have any of these terms.

Materials

Persian rugs are only crafted from wool or silk. A rug that has any other components is not a true Persian rug. Also, it is recommended that bamboo silk be used as opposed to natural silk which requires the killing of many thousands of caterpillars. It should be noted that most Oriental rugs are made from the same materials. Just keep in mind that the major difference is the location where the rug was made and the knots that are commonly used.

Differences

There are numerous differences between Oriental rugs and Persian rugs. Understanding the differences will help you identify and get to know them.

Persian Knot: This unique knot which was created in Persia many centuries ago was an advancement that helped separate Persian rugs from other Oriental rugs. Today, there are Oriental rugs that use this knot, but it is not a true Persian rug if the Persian knot is not used.

The Persian knot is asymmetrical in nature and open on one side. This means that there are no gaps while the knot itself takes up less room. The overall effect is a smoother appearance that helps separate this type of rug from the rest. It also allows for more intricate designs.

Hand-Washed: Another difference is that Persian rugs are hand-washed which means that they are softer and more comfortable to rest on compared to many Oriental rugs that are not hand-washed. The hand washing is important because it helps maintain the strength of the fibers while still removing the dust, dirt, and other debris from the rug itself.

Prices: Persian rugs tend to be more expensive compared to most other Oriental rugs that are in the same condition. This is not so much because of the materials, but the time and effort that was put into the creation of each rug. Plus, Persian rugs tend to be higher, but it also depends on the material used in other Oriental rugs.

Keep in mind that price does not stand alone as other factors are involved. They include age, condition, and history. A rug that has seen plenty of interesting places will be of more value compared to one that sat in the market for most of its existence. So, take each

Availability: In 1987, the US placed sanctions on Iran which included a ban on the sale of items from that country, including Persian rugs. Therefore, if you are in the US and a dealer claims that the item is a new Persian rug, then it’s either a deception, mistake, or it is illegal for them to sell the rug to you. Only Persian rugs which were brought to the US before 1987 are legal to sell.

Understanding the differences is important because you can make the best-informed decision about what to purchase. The warning signs for fake or worse, illegal Persian rugs means that you can avoid making a bad purchase.

It does help to know that all Persian rugs are Oriental rugs, which explains many of the similarities. However, not all Oriental rugs are Persian rugs, so knowing the differences will help you make the right purchase.

The middle age saw the best use of wines. In medieval times, alcoholic wines were the most preferred drinks. They were seen to be more beneficial than even water. Moreover, at that time, there was no access to clean water and a lot of people were exposed to waterborne diseases. Medieval wines, particularly alcoholic beverages replaced water. The water then was contaminated and considered bad for digestion.

In the medieval times, the kind of wines knights drank was the alcoholic beverage. The poor drank ale, cider, and mead because they couldn’t afford the wines of the knights. Choosing to drink a type of wine in medieval times was a little complex. The knights considered so many factors to determine if the wine was good or not.

Their attitude towards wine selection was different from that of the modern day wine drinker. They considered four important qualities before choosing a wine as the right choice. They considered if it was hot, cold, dry or wet. Unlike the modern day drinker that is only concerned about where the wine was produced.

In the middle age, wine was associated with bourgeoisie and nobility. You would find every knight consuming wine on a daily basis. Alcoholic beverages were the most prestigious medieval drink, and it was considered as the healthier choice of drink. The quality of wines knights drank varied depending on the production process such as the type of grapes, number of grape pressing, and vintage.

Wines from first pressings are the wines knights drank. They are the finest of medieval drinks. They always reserved it for them as a sign of nobility. The quality of wines from the second and third pressings was usually lower and was left for people who belonged in the lower class.

The highest quality red wines as the best medieval drink also belonged to the knights. Common people could not even get their sight on such drink because the production and storage were expensive, and it required specialized knowledge.

Taste is one of the important things that matter to modern-day drinkers. We classify taste as sweet, bitter, salty, and acidic while knights in the medieval times had about thirteen different tastes. They considered some wine as weak, vinegary, brusque, strong and more.

The kind of wines knights drank for special occasions like a wedding feast was sweeter wines, which they took in small quantities. They believed that drinking excess sweet wines could damage a person physically and morally. So it was best taken into small quantities.

The Knights of the medieval times had different wines for different purposes. Red wine was considered best for digestion. Spiced or mulled wine was highly recommended by physicians as it was considered to have a vaporizing effect on food. It was quite popular in medieval times. It was made from ordinary red wine and some other spices like ginger, pepper, cloves, and others.

Other than the alcoholic beverage that knights drank, teas and coffees were known but weren’t as common and accepted as the medieval wines.

Established in the year 1882, the Knights of Columbis is an organization that comprises the Catholic men of faith. This group is highly respected among the Catholic fraternity and is highly known for its charitable actions. This organization is only comprised of men who are at least the age of 18 years and above. One thing you must note about the men in this group is that they are all committed to helping the Catholic Church in its efforts to make the world a better place. This is largely done through charitable activities.

Who can join the Knights of Columbus?
As already mentioned, the Knights of Columbus comprises of men who are at least the age of 18 years and above. And note that all these men are Catholic believers, meaning they have absolute faith in the Catholic doctrines. But before you join the Knights of Columbus organization, there are some things you have to be sure of first. Let us look at some of these things:

Do you qualify to join the Knights of Columbus?

Before you join the Knights of Columbus, one needs to establish whether he first qualifies, based on the conditions set for one to join. For anyone to qualify, he must be a Catholic gentleman who fully understands the Catholic doctrines. Also, he must be 18 years of age or older and must be willing to donate his time to works of charity.
Find out more about joining

After establishing that you really qualify to join the Knights of Columbus, the next thing you need to do is contact one of the members of this organization and inquire about joining. You can also visit the Knights website to inquire more about the organization.

Filling out the form
Before you become a member of the order, you will have to fill an application form. In the form, you will have to indicate your address, parish, your interest in the organization, and annuity commitments. This form will then be given to members of the local council to vote on it.

If your application to join the Knights of Columbus is successful, you will have to take time and learn the rules that govern the order. One of the things you will have to commit yourself to is keeping the secrets of the organization. These secrets can only be learned after one has joined as a member.

In the Knights of Columbus organization, there are various stages through which an initiate will have to go through. Basically, there are four-degree levels that one is expected to go through, attaining one at a time. Without patience, it is difficult to rise through all the ranks to the fourth degree.

Understanding the purpose of the Knights of Columbus

When the organization was founded in the year 1882 by Father Michael J. McGiveney, its main purpose was to offer mutual aid as well as assistance to family members, and particularly the immigrants. In addition to this, the group is now involved in promoting social and intellectual fellowship. This is done through education, charitable actions, and many others.