There exist various fragments of rugs and textiles, but the next oldest carpet still in existence dates from the 13 th century. Ancient sources describe many historical rugs. Alexander the Great found Cyrus the Greats' tomb resting on fine carpets. Sui annals state that woolen rugs from Persia were being exported to China during the 6 th and 7 th centuries. The Arab historian Tabari wrote that 60,000 soldiers were paid with fragments of this carpet.
Ancient accounts exist showing that many soldiers sold their fragments in the Damascus bazaar.
The theme of the carpet was paradise. Marco Polo traveled through the Caucasus and Anatolia in 1271 and described the beauty of the Turkish and Caucasian carpets he saw there. We know that Europe imported oriental rugs because there are numerous depictions of oriental carpets in European paintings dating from the 14 th and 15 th centuries. Luckily, the historical reference shows that carpets have been woven, valued and traded since ancient times.