This handsome rug comes from Malatya, an old-established town of eastern Anatolia, not far from the upper Euphrates. It lies at the junction of important roads (in antiquity: the Persian royal road and the Euphrates route; in modern times Samsūn-Siwās-Malaṭya-Diyārbakr and Ḳayṣariyya-Albistān-Malaṭya-K̲h̲arpūt). It features graphic patterning in moderated shades of red, blue, and cream. Alternating bands spread across the rug, consisting of both an interrupted stripe motif and a subtle array of multi-colored medallions.