Every room looks incomplete without the touch of sophistication and exotic beauty that a carpet lends to it. Carpets are what legends are made of. They have forever been a subject of fascination for ages now. Perhaps, from the time of the fascinating stories of the Arabian Nights which talked about Djinns and magic and flying carpets- One might hardly be able to recall any snippet from the orient, which was complete without some mention of an exquisite carpet. No movie shot of Baghdad or the Middle East has yet looked satisfactory without frame capturing the huge carpet markets.

Today, the carpet industry is not restricted to its place of origin. The ancient industry has spread far and wide, having been bestowed with a new face which has been largely a gift of modern technology and the latest machinery. Carpets have replaced the crude rugs of yesteryears in most American homes today. They are preferred because of their beautiful designs and rare combinations of colors. The silken treads used to weave these carpets also gives them a special appeal.

Manufacturers of carpets are losing on the trade because their mechanized products are no competition for the hand woven carpets produced in a number of villages in the Middle East. The only advantage they have perhaps is because of their cost efficiency. These carpets are much cheaper than their hand crafted counterparts.

The village industries at an international level are suffering because of the mechanization introduced in the manufacturing of carpets. The only breathing space afforded to the village industry is provided by the true connoisseurs of the art of carpet weaving. There are still a number of people who understand the true value of hand woven carpets and are ready to pay a handsome price for them. But such people are rare and many fail to understand this art. Another factor remains that encouraging this art requires a lot of money. The original manufacturers thus, now need benefactors to support their dying art.