The Ghazir Rug

The Ghazir Rug. It was woven by Armenian orphans of the orphanage in Ghazir (Syria, now Lebanon), and in 1925 it was presented to US President Calvin Coolidge in gratitude for the aid given to the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

The rug symbolizes the gardens of Paradise, has 4 million knots and was woven by hand over 18 months. In the centre is a large star-shaped medallion; the field is filled with animals and plants, and several ornamental bands run along the edges.