The war rug (Dari: فرش جنگی, romanized: farš jangi) tradition of Afghanistan has its origins in the decade of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan from 1979[citation needed] and has continued through the subsequent military, political and social conflicts. Afghan rug-makers began incorporating the apparati of war into their designs almost immediately after the Soviet Union invaded their country. They continue to do so today in the wake of the United States' 2001 invasion of Afghanistan which ousted the Taliban government of Mullah Omar but has failed to bring an end to violence in the country.[citation needed]
The terms Baluch and war rug are generalizations given to the genre by rug dealers, commercial galleries, collectors, critics, and commentators. The distinctive characteristic of these rugs is their capacity to convey their makers' experiences and interpretations of the circumstances and politics of war and conflict in the region.[citation needed]
Since the withdrawal of the USSR, the same themes and subjects have been reused and remade. Additionally, after 9/11 the events of that day were recorded in carpets, and more recently – since 2015 – drones have appeared as subject matter.[1][2]
- ^ Bizzarri, Cosimo. "Afghan carpet weavers are putting drones on their rugs". Quartz. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ Raghavan, Sudarsan. "Analysis | Afghanistan's famed war carpets are getting a makeover – once again". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2019.