Its complicated! Most countries in the middle and near east have a history of identifiable tribes. Members may now live in towns and cities, or of course elsewhere in the world. But claiming those roots is a matter of pride for many. Weavers, rug dealers and western traders delight in noting such origins. Tribes may move so for example there are Turkic origin Afshar tribes in SW and NW Persia and also in Turkey and Afghanistan. Some tribes still have nomadic populations, following ancient traditions, moving between summer and winter grazing grounds for their animals, or choosing wherever their crops can...

In 1983 Out Of The Nomads Tent was launched by Rufus Reade. A few years later he began exploring with groups the regions which supplied his shop, such as Turkey, Persia, and Central, South and South East Asia. From the very beginning this in depth approach to the business continued and was combined with exhibitions, talks and music. The first exhibition was in a Qashqai 'black tent' set up in the grounds of Edinburgh College of Art, with rugs and kilims spilling out over the grass around it. During 2023 we will put on two major exhibitions: Iconic Persia and India...