Interview with Aydah Merza , International Carpet Collector
Aydah is a Kuwaiti collector and merchant of unique luxury Carpets. Thanks to her consummate knowledge and innate passion, Aydah’s name has become synonymous with exclusive carpets throughout the region.
She is often sought after because of her ability to accurately appraise the quality and value of a piece as well as her insight into maintaining a beautiful rug.
►Let us know more details about your biography, history, and success story of the Aydah Merza gallery.
I was born in Tehran on November 2nd, 1964. My father is from Kuwait, but his roots are originally from Isfahan, and my mother is from Tehran. We lived in Kuwait, and I studied there until elementary school. Then I moved to Montreal, Canada, and studied marketing.
Later, I came back to Kuwait and worked for Kuwait Airways and then for Kuwait Petroleum Corporation till my severe accident in 2006. From that day, I returned to my hobby and my love of carpets. I start my journey by reading about rugs throw the internet and books, then i decide to travel to various cities in Iran, such as Tehran, Kashan, Isfahan, Qom, Tabriz, Bijar, Malayer, and Hamedan, to discover carpets from different regions.
Then, I start making my own exhibitions in Kuwait end of 2006. The first international exhibitions that i attend was at Hannover then Tehran, Istanbul and Beirut. I also have visited all the museums worldwide like the Tehran Carpet Museum (Iran), Lacma Musem in Los Angeles (USA), the Victoria & Albert Museum in London(England), Museum of Islamic Art at Doha (Qatar) and Pergamon Museum Berlin (Germany). at the same time, I visited Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Sultan Qabous Mosque to see their fabulous and amazing carpets.
I still wanted to know more about rugs, and I started attending carpet exhibitions from all over the world. I went to the Hermitage museum in Saint Petersburg to see the Pazyryk carpet. I publish books yearly, containing the latest carpets I have bought except those I have sold. The last issue of my book was published in 2020. I have not issued my book in 2021 because I have not bought a lot of new carpets. However, I am not a carpet merchant who purchases the typical rugs that people need and use. Open cheques were offered to me, but I did not sell my carpets. I am a carpet lover, and I have always been interested in unique and precious carpets.
►MENA Region is an important region for carpet professionals. Let us know more about your Showrooms in the region and your activities? Which kind of carpets do you collect and offer to customers?
I have built a new house to have a unique gallery according to the high standards and using professional track light. The size of my gallery is twelve by nine meters. At my gallery you can see very rare carpets, unusual unique designs and masterpieces, they are highly collectable and extremely attractive, they were chosen professionally during my journies.
There are also carpet books, which I have bought from all over the world. Most of my carpets have certificates and photos also be found in many other publications. Each carpet at my gallery has a stand to place the certificate and the related book. The gallery also includes a store having extra carpets.
I have sold some of my collections to famous people like King Abdulah Bin Abdelaziz Al Saud … . It was a masterpiece belonging to Master Bagher Seirafian. Also Sultan Brunei and Queen Rania and I’m planning to meet Sheikha Moza Al Misnad are my other important clients.
►Which specifications and characters make a carpet unique and special?
Having a unique design that is very rare to find, choosing the natural colors matching the design theme of the carpet, and high knot density are among the factors that make a rug unique and special.
►How do you predict the carpet sector globally after COVID Pandemic and vaccination?
It is evident that the whole world has got adversely affected by the coronavirus. However, fortunately, it was the opposite for me. I have sold about 15 carpets during the pandemic. I had an interview with a well-known TV Channel in my gallery that let more people know me. After the interview, I got many calls from all over the world, such as Canada, Japan, Europe, the USA, as well as King Abdullah’s daughter.
►As a Persian carpet lover, what do you think about the current situation of handmade carpets in Iran and their future?
I do not think that the Iranian handmade carpet industry pursues the proper approach because most of their designs are copied. Copying designs will remain us in the same place and not allows to offer unique carpets. Therefore, choosing novel designs and colors makes a big difference in the handmade carpets of Iran.
We should let the original classic Persian carpets come out again instead of copying the modern designs. Furthermore, Iranian rugs are expensive, which is not suitable for the current global economy. In my opinion, the price of Iranian carpets should be reduced.
