Mahal Rugs: Persian Heritage with a Grand, Livable Elegance
Mahal rugs come from the celebrated weaving region of central-western Iran, where village ateliers became known for creating carpets that feel both stately and welcoming. Historically associated with the broader Arak/Sultanabad sphere, Mahal pieces earned their reputation in late 19th and early 20th century interiors—when Western tastemakers were searching for rugs with generous scale, strong wool, and patterns that could hold their own beneath formal seating and chandeliers.
The signature “vibe” of a Mahal rug is confident without being precious. Designs often favor an allover layout—rosettes, palmettes, vine lattice, and layered borders—woven with a practical sense of repetition that makes a room feel grounded. Color stories tend to be earth-forward: khaki, sand, taupe, indigo, terracotta, and softened blues that read like patina rather than trend. This is why decorators return to Mahal again and again: it performs beautifully in high-traffic spaces while still delivering the romance of antique Persian craftsmanship.
In a modern home, Mahal rugs excel as the quiet architecture of a room—supporting both traditional furnishings and contemporary silhouettes. Their dense patterning is especially forgiving, their wool is famously resilient, and the overall effect is “collected” rather than staged. If you love interiors that feel layered, established, and effortlessly luxurious, Mahal is a natural cornerstone.
Persian Mahal beige with brown accents traditional area antique rug with floral allover and palmette motifs SKU 94558
SKU 94558 is the definition of the classic Mahal mood: an antique wool composition with a toast-toned foundation (“toasted almond”) softened by bleached-sand highlights. The pattern reads as a refined allover tapestry—dense enough to feel tailored, yet lively enough to keep a room from feeling flat. Look closely and you’ll sense the quiet rhythm of palmette sprays and rosette medallions, framed by layered geometric borders that give the piece a confident perimeter.
This rug’s personality is calm, grounded, and intentionally traditional—perfect for clients who want their space to feel “done” without feeling loud. The low pile offers a crisp, furniture-friendly surface that slides easily into formal living rooms, libraries, or dining rooms where chair movement is constant. Its earthy palette pairs beautifully with walnut, oak, linen upholstery, and aged brass—creating a warm, editorial look that still feels livable.
- Color Band: Toasted almond & bleached sand (earthy brown-beige)
- Size Band: 5 ft 6 in X 8 ft 2 in
- Price Band: Premium ($6,000)
- Style: Antique Traditional Persian Mahal
- Use Case: Dining room, library, formal sitting room
- Designer Tip: Pair with creamy bouclé and warm woods; let the rug’s dense pattern act as your “texture layer” so the rest of the palette can stay clean.
Persian (Mahal) beige with taupe, gold, and light blue traditional oversize area contemporary rug with large central medallion and floral allover motifs SKU 66761
SKU 66761 brings Mahal tradition into a grand, contemporary scale—an oversize wool rug that feels like a full-room foundation rather than a decorative accessory. The pale gold field glows with a soft, architectural warmth, while gray notes calm the composition and keep it sophisticated. At the center, a scalloped medallion is surrounded by vine scrolls, rosettes, palmettes, and corner spandrels, giving the rug a ceremonial “center of gravity” that anchors large seating plans.
This is the rug for clients who want classic ornamentation, but with a lighter, airier read. It performs beautifully in open-plan great rooms, formal dining rooms, and impressive foyers where scale matters. The medium pile adds comfort underfoot, and the palette plays well with both warm metals and cooler stone surfaces. Think of it as a bridge piece: traditional in DNA, but fresh in how it brightens a space.
- Color Band: Pale gold & soft gray (warm neutral with cool balance)
- Size Band: 11 ft 1 in X 18 ft 0 in
- Price Band: Premium ($21,000)
- Style: Traditional Mahal-Inspired (New)
- Use Case: Grand living room, formal dining, large foyer
- Designer Tip: In a large room, echo the pale gold with one subtle accent (art frame, sconce, side table) and let the rest stay restrained—this rug already does the heavy lifting.
Persian (Mahal) beige with olive and soft red traditional oversize area contemporary rug with floral allover palmettes and vine motifs SKU 71044
SKU 71044 is a softly romantic take on Mahal tradition—parchment tones warmed by muted rose accents for a look that’s elegant, inviting, and unmistakably decorative. The composition leans into floral geometry: palmette medallions, scrolling vinework, leafy arabesques, and rosette detailing, arranged with the balanced discipline Mahal rugs are known for. The result is a rug that reads light and refined while still offering the visual richness that makes Persian patterns timeless.
In a space, this piece behaves like a gentle “filter”—lifting the room’s brightness and smoothing transitions between wood, upholstery, and wall color. It’s especially effective in formal sitting rooms, dining rooms, and libraries where you want a classic gesture without a heavy, dark ground. The medium pile adds comfort and makes the rug feel luxurious underfoot, while the palette pairs effortlessly with limestone, creamy paint tones, and even contemporary silhouettes like curved sofas and minimalist casegoods.
- Color Band: Parchment & muted rose (light neutral with soft red)
- Size Band: 10 ft 4 in X 13 ft 2 in
- Price Band: Premium ($12,000)
- Style: Traditional Mahal-Inspired (New)
- Use Case: Living room, dining room, formal sitting room
- Designer Tip: Pull the muted rose into the room through a single element—like a silk pillow or art—so it feels intentional, not incidental.
Persian Mahal beige with light brown and soft blue traditional area antique rug with dense floral allover pattern and scrolling vine border SKU 73537
SKU 73537 is an antique Mahal that leans into quiet luxury: beige sand as the ground, kissed with light aqua accents that read like time-worn pigment. The field is richly populated—floral vines, rosettes, palmettes, and lattice tracery—creating that hallmark Mahal density that makes a room feel layered and established. A scrolling vine border frames the composition like tailored millwork, giving the rug a polished, room-defining presence.
This piece excels wherever you want softness without losing structure. Its light palette plays beautifully in sunlit rooms, while the intricate allover pattern keeps it practical for daily living—hiding wear and offering visual continuity beneath furniture groupings. The low pile is especially designer-friendly: it allows for crisp rug placement under dining chairs, and it won’t compete with carved wood details or statement upholstery. Consider it an heirloom-look foundation for spaces that aim for understated sophistication.
- Color Band: Beige sand & light aqua (light neutral with soft blue)
- Size Band: 9 ft 8 in X 13 ft 4 in
- Price Band: Luxury ($18,000)
- Style: Antique Traditional Persian Mahal
- Use Case: Formal living room, dining room, grand entry
- Designer Tip: For a museum-clean look, layer with ivory linen drapery and pale oak; let the soft aqua act as the “cool note” that keeps the beige from feeling flat.
Persian (Mahal) beige with light blue and brown traditional oversize area antique rug with floral allover motifs and vinery border SKU 73990
SKU 73990 offers the kind of balanced, allover Mahal design that decorators love for large, sophisticated rooms. The pale almond ground reads creamy and calm, while muted teal accents introduce a cool sophistication—subtle enough to be versatile, distinctive enough to feel curated. The pattern is dense but orderly: small rosettes and palmettes, vine scrolls, tiny latticeforms, and repeating bud clusters, all held together by a structured vinery border.
As a personality, this rug is composed and worldly—the piece you choose when you want the room to feel settled, not trendy. It works exceptionally well in formal living rooms and master bedrooms, where its scale can unify furniture and create a continuous “stage” for layering. The medium pile adds comfort, making it as pleasant to live with as it is to look at. If your home leans warm-neutral, this rug is an elegant way to introduce blue-green undertones without shifting the entire palette.
- Color Band: Pale almond & muted teal (light beige with blue-green)
- Size Band: 10 ft 1 in X 12 ft 11 in
- Price Band: Premium ($18,000)
- Style: Antique Traditional Persian Mahal
- Use Case: Formal living room, grand entry, master bedroom
- Designer Tip: Echo muted teal in a single glaze ceramic or artwork; keep upholstery in warm neutrals to highlight the rug’s refined contrast.
Persian (Mahal) rust with yellow and blue accents, traditional antique area rug with floral allover motifs and stylized vine scrolls SKU 10831
SKU 10831 is a bolder Mahal antique that brings a room to life. Bright marigold warms the field with a sunlit intensity, while rich navy adds depth and definition—creating that classic Persian contrast that reads dramatic yet timeless. The patterning is dense and layered: stylized palmette blossoms, scrolling floral vines, geometric rosettes, and lattice tendrils, all surrounded by carefully banded borders that keep the energy contained and elegant.
This rug’s personality is confident—perfect for clients who want their rug to be the conversation piece rather than the background. It’s a striking anchor for wood-paneled libraries, dining rooms with dark cabinetry, or living rooms where you want to lift neutral upholstery with a decisive color narrative. The medium pile adds a plushness that pairs beautifully with leather seating and substantial casegoods. If your space feels slightly too “quiet,” this is the kind of vintage color story that instantly adds character and warmth.
- Color Band: Bright marigold & rich navy (golden yellow with deep blue)
- Size Band: 8 ft 8 in X 12 ft 7 in
- Price Band: Premium ($19,500)
- Style: Antique Traditional Persian Mahal
- Use Case: Living room, dining room, library
- Designer Tip: Let the navy connect to iron, ink-black accents, or framed art; keep walls creamy to let the marigold glow without overpowering the space.
Persian Mahal brown with rust and ivory accents traditional antique runner rug with floral allover motifs and scrolling vines SKU 75771
SKU 75771 is a Mahal runner with an immediately architectural role: it draws the eye, elongates the space, and makes transitional areas feel intentionally designed. Warm taupe brown sets an earthy base, while muted brick terracotta adds a handsome warmth that feels tailored rather than loud. The patterning—scrolling palmettes, stylized rosettes, vine scrolls, leafy fronds, and ornamental cartouches—gives the runner a decorated richness that holds up beautifully in long corridors and entry passages.
Its personality is refined utility. This is the piece you choose when you want a hallway to feel like part of the home’s “main experience,” not just a connector. With antique character and a medium pile, it offers comfort underfoot while still remaining practical for frequent foot traffic. Pair it with framed photography, a narrow console, or a gallery wall and you’ll have a corridor that feels curated and cohesive—like a private museum walkway, but warm and livable.
- Color Band: Warm taupe brown & muted brick terracotta (earthy brown-red)
- Size Band: 3 ft 4 in X 9 ft 11 in
- Price Band: Premium ($6,900)
- Style: Antique Traditional Persian Mahal Runner
- Use Case: Hallway, entry corridor, gallery passage
- Designer Tip: Use runner lighting (a pair of picture lights or spaced ceiling fixtures) to “activate” the pattern; the design reads even richer with intentional illumination.
Explore Arsin’s 12,000+ Rug Inventory
Mahal is only the beginning. Arsin Rug Gallery houses an archive of over 12,000 rugs—antique, vintage, and new—across every size, palette, and design direction. If you’re searching for a Mahal with a specific mood (lighter neutrals, deeper indigos, oversize palace scale, or a runner with dense allover patterning), connect with an Arsin Agent for tailored recommendations.
Suggested search keywords to use with our team: “Persian Mahal antique allover,” “Mahal runner taupe rust,” “oversize Mahal medallion,” “light beige Mahal with blue,” “low pile Mahal dining room,” and “Sultanabad / Arak style Mahal.”
