Bokhara Area Rugs: The Gul Pattern, Explained

Arsh's Rug Library · Rug Styles

Deep red runner with rows of Turkoman-style guls beside a bench — Shown: Biljik Khal Mohammadi Ashlee Runner, 2'9" x 9'2", with rows of Turkoman-style guls

Bokhara is one of the most recognized rug designs in the world: rows of repeating medallions on a red ground. It is simple, orderly and works in almost any room.

Where the name comes from

The name comes from Bukhara, the historic Silk Road city in present-day Uzbekistan, which was a great market for rugs woven by Turkoman tribes of Central Asia. In the rug trade, Bokhara came to mean the Turkoman gul design wherever it is woven.

The gul pattern

A gul is a medallion, usually octagonal or rounded, repeated in neat rows across the field. Each Turkoman tribe had its own gul, and one of the best known is the rounded elephant-foot gul. Smaller secondary motifs fill the spaces between the main guls, and several narrow borders frame the field.

Peach and black Bokhara rug with rows of guls — Neat rows of guls, framed by several narrow borders.

Close-up of Bokhara gul medallions — Neat rows of guls, framed by several narrow borders.

Colors

The classic Bokhara is red, from bright crimson to deep burgundy, with guls outlined in navy, black and ivory. Softer versions come in rust, gold, beige and blue.

Our Bokhara rugs

Browse our Bokhara collection of hand-knotted Bokhara rugs, each one of a kind. Related Turkoman designs are in our Khal Mohammadi collection.

Decorating with a Bokhara

Because the pattern repeats evenly, a Bokhara reads calm and structured. It suits traditional rooms, studies and libraries, and its red grounds warm up neutral modern spaces. The repeating design also hides wear well, which makes it a practical choice for living rooms and halls.

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