Nomadic Persian carpet Rizbaft 235x175 cm

are a Turkic-speaking tribal confederation of clans in Persia. They mainly live in the provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and southern Isfahan, but especially around the city of Shiraz in Fars. The Qashqai were originally nomadic pastoralists and some remain so today. The traditional nomadic Qashqai travelled with their flocks each year from the summer highland pastures north of Shiraz roughly 480 km or 300 mi south to the winter pastures on lower (and warmer) lands near the Persian Gulf, to the southwest of Shiraz. The majority, however, have now settled, or are partially settled. The trend towards settlement has been increasing markedly since the 1960s.

Qashqai carpets and weavings Qashqai caravan haltThe Qashqai are renowned for their magnificent pile carpets and other woven wool products. The wool produced in the mountains and valleys near Shiraz is exceptionally soft and beautiful and takes a deeper color than wool from other parts of Persia. Qashqai saddlebags, adorned with colorful geometric designs, are considered to be the finest available.