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Carpet Diplomacy: How Safavid Weavers Shaped Alliances
In this episode of The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness, Lucas and Luna explore the surprising role of luxury carpets in Safavid diplomacy. More than beautiful floor coverings, Safavid silk and wool carpets were diplomatic gifts, economic weapons, and cultural ambassadors. Lucas walks through how Shah Tahmasp sent a carpet to the Ottoman sultan that cost more than a fortress, how Shah Abbas I used carpet production as a state monopoly to fund his wars, and how the famous Ardabil carpet ended up in a London museum. The episode also covers the rise of Kashan and Isfahan as weaving…
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