Prayer carpet; Türkiye, western Anatolia; Uşak; early 18th century. The Textile Museum Collection R34.22.1. 

Prayer carpets share a distinctive iconography recognized by Muslims around the world. Developed over centuries and circulated through trade and religious pilgrimage, it is common to find traditional symbols such as arches, flowers, lamps and water pitchers on Muslim prayer carpets.

One of the most iconic images in a prayer carpet is an arch, often symbolizing the gateway to paradise, conceived in the Koran as a lush, walled garden. It might have been inspired by the “mihrab” a niche in the wall of the mosque that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, which believers face when praying. 

Mihrab (prayer niche) from Iran, Isfahan, 14th century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art 39.20.

Namaz (called Salah in Arabic) are the ritual prayers performed by practising Muslim five times a day. They are offered early in the morning, afternoon, evening, near sunset and late evening. Each namaz generally lasts between five to ten minutes, and so, cumulatively, the prayers take up to about 30 minutes a day.

Before offering prayers, a Muslim must first perform ritual washing. Ablution is considered important because worshipers are praying directly to Allah and, out of humility and respect for the Almighty, believe they should prepare to do so with a clean heart, mind, and body.

Photo: by Daniel Candal/Moment Open/Getty Images.

After purification, the worshiper positions themself towards the city of Mecca where the Ka’abah is. (The Ka’abah being the stone building at the center of Islam’s most important mosque and holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, considered to be the House of God.) The direction of the Ka’abah is clearly identified inside a mosque's prayer hall with a niche (mihrab) on the wall.

Mihrab (prayer niche) from Iran, Isfahan, early 17th century. Cleveland Museum of Art. (Roy Luck)

During the prayer, a person prostrates, touches one’s forehead to the ground, and recites verses from the Koran. Because prayer is conducted by sitting, standing, and prostrating, and to preserve the cleanliness achieved by ablution, floors of mosques and small prayer halls are covered with textiles, often referred to as prayer carpets. These carpets create a both literally and metaphorically clean environment for worshippers.

The prayer carpets used in mosques are wide and generally bear a motif showing a row of arches to indicate where each worshiper should stand in prayer. 

Photo: Jameh Mosque of Sanandaj, 5 Ramadan 1437. (Bakhtiar Samadi)

Prayer carpets used in homes are generally sized for one individual and display an arch to also help orient the worshiper.

Prayer carpet: Musallah namaz rug (ebay)  

Prayer carpets are created around the world but the symbols are universal. A few common motifs are listed below:

Prayer carpet; Central Asia, Middle Amu Darya area, Bukhara region; 19th century. The Textile Museum Collection 18.2. 

• Arches, used for positional purposes and also for symbolizing the walled gardens of paradise.

Saf (multiple-arch prayer carpet); India, Deccan plateau, Warangal; late 18th century. The Textile Museum Collection R63.00.15.

• Flowers and trees serving as a reminder of the infinite beauty and grace of Allah's creations.

Prayer carpet; The Textile Museum Collection.

• Water pitchers representing purification.

Torah Ark curtain; Ottoman Empire, Egypt, Cairo; early 17th century. The Textile Museum Collection  R16.4.4.

• Hanging lamps representing divine light, the presence of the creator. A well-known Muslim prayer says in part "Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. The example of his light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass... a pearly white star lit from the oil of a blessed olive tree... whose oil would amost glow even if untouched by fire."  Light is a common motif in many religions. The picture below is from a Torah Ark curtain. The similarity in design to Muslim prayer carpets is striking.

Prayer carpet; Türkiye, western Anatolia, Gördes; 19th century. The Textile Museum Collection R34.3.2 

Many of these pictures were taken from the exhibit "Prayer and Transcendence" held at George Washington University's Textile Musuem in early 2023. The exhibit explored the spiritual meaning of different prayer carpet motifs and how these symbols are used to transform each carpet into a sacred space.