Classification of Iranian Carpets
A.: Those inspired by nature. They are divided in 3 groups:
1. Designs with images of lines, surfaces, objects
2. Designs with real or imaginary portraits
3. Designs about nature
B.: Designs which represent images of human achievements, or named after place of production, tribe, weaver, historical and religious buildings. They are classified in the following groups:

1. Design known by the historical and religious sites
2. Designs known by city or production site
3. Designs known by the main pattern and images
4. Designs known by the tribes and individuals
5. Designs composites and derived

1.A: Designs in Iranian carpets with main images as lines, surfaces, objects

1. Designs with broken lines and geometrical shapes (imaginary)
a- Geometrical shapes (square, lozenge)
b- Armlet Geometrical
c- Framed-panels Geometrical
d- Geometrical
e- Geometrical with medallion (Toranj)
f- Repeated Geometrical
g- Joshaghan Geometrical
h- Tea Caddy Geometrical
i- Shiraz Inlaid geometrical
j- Chinese Geometrical
k- Broken Cord Geometrical
l- Underground Geometrical
m- Henneh Geometrical
n- Overall Geometrical
o- Broken branch Geometrical
p- Shell Geometrical
q- Frame Geometrical
r- Terracotta frame Geometrical
s- Ink pot Geometrical
t- Scissors Geometrical
u- Inscriptive Geometrical
v- Kashkool Geometrical
w- Flower shield Geometrical
x- Corner Medallion Geometrical (Lachak-Toranj)
y- Stripped Geometrical
z- Text Geometrical
aa- Half frame Geometrical

2. Designs with rotating line imaging (Arabesque):
a- leaf Arabesque
b- Snail Arabesque
c- Trunk Arabesque
d- Dragon Head Arabesque
e- Simple Arabesque
f- Broken Arabesque
g- Rolled Arabesque
h- Constellation Arabesque
i- Flowered Arabesque
j- Snake Arabesque

2.A. Designs in Iranian carpets with real or imaginary portraits.
a- Puppet designs (Mullah Nasreddin)
b- Animal designs
c- Face designs
d- Leili and Majnoun designs (Iranian Romeo and Juliet)
e- Fish designs

3.A. Designs in Iranian carpet with nature and greens as motifs: a- Paisley designs
b- Jungle designs
c- Tree Vase designs
d- Gol Farang designs
e- Plant and flower designs
f- Four season and green view designs

1.B. Designs in Iranian carpets with historical and religious buildings:

a- Abu Ali Sina (Avecinna) Tomb design
b- Persepolis design
c- Entrance to Imam Zadeh Mahrough design
d- Tagh Bostan design
e- Tagh Kasra design
f- Tagh -Nama (ceiling) design
g- Ghandili (stalactite and stalagmite) designs
h- Hall Dome of Ali Ghapou design
i- Gonbad Kavous design
j- Kufi Altar design
k- Shah Mosque design
l- Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque design
m- Tabriz Kaboud Mosque design
n- Soltanieh Tomb
o- Sheikh Safieddin Ardebili Tomb design

2.3.B. Tribal and individual designs in Iranian carpets:

a- Afshar design
b- Bakhtiari design
c- Baluch design
d- Turkman design
e- Jan Beigi design
f- Khatai (Chinese) design
g- Sanchooli design
h- Send design
i- Shah Abbasi design
j- Qashqai design
k- Kurdish design
l- Palmatte (Shah Abbasi) flower design
m- Lor design
n- Bisotoun design
o- Broken Mir design
p- Mina Khani design
q- Kashan design
r- Kurdistan design
s- Kerman design
t- Moshk Abad design
u- Turkish Shiraz design

4.B. Designs famous by their pattern and images Naming is done mainly by carpet merchants or dealers and is passed on from one generation to Another:

A. Regarding the ground of carpet:
a- Plain Weave design
b- All-over or flower designs

B. Regarding the ground design:
1. Corner-medallion design
2. Turreted design which the basic image of tress is used.
3. Series turreted design
4. Designing, overall, stripped and series designs

C. Regarding the margin of the carpet:
1. Margined design
2. Un-margined design

D. Regarding the usage:
1. Prayer-carpet design
2. Sajjada design
3. Prayer-niche (Altar) design

    5-B: Design of Iranian carpet: Composite and Derivative
I. Composite
1- Bouquet design
2- Stag Horn
3- Bouquet Medallion design
4- Plain-weave Floral medallion
5- Underground design
6- Prayer-niche (Altar) columnar Underground design
7- Curved-branched medallion design
8- Multiple-panel design II.

Derivative:
- Anatolian
- Afghanian
- Caucasian
- Tapestry