War Rug Library
War Rug Library
Everything you need to know about the afghan war rug designs we sell
What's A War Rug?
An anomaly of one of Afghanistan's greatest cultural exports, War Rugs became popular during Soviet occupation of the country back in the 1980s.
Traditional depictions of breathtaking floral patterns, cities, and historical figures would be replaced with tanks, guns, aircraft, and depicting mujahideen figures like Ahmad Shah Massoud.
Appearing in Bazaars, Soviet occupiers absolutely loved the new designs, and brought many home as commemorative pieces. The same love for the rugs would catch on among members of the US Military some years later.
Newer rugs depict historical events like 9/11, The disastrous Kabul airport evacuation, and even the war in Ukraine...
War Rug FAQs
Yes — we go through all the complicated steps to get them imported from the Middle East, and ship them out from our US based warehouse
When you choose a type of rug, you are choosing the design type. due to the amount of different factors that affect how rugs look (artisan's color choice, whether or not they followed the pattern exactly or messed up english words/characters, etc.) We cannot guarantee you will get a rug as pictured.
The product photos make it easier for you to choose design type and get an idea of what the rug may look like.
We spend hours picking the highest quality examples of each design from our supplier, so rest assured you'll get a one-of-a-kind rug.
In the case of the largest pattern rugs, the specific rug you pick will be the rug you get.
War Rugs ship 100% free to the continental US, and are backed by our 30 day return policy.
Half-Meter War Rug Designs
Half-Meter War Rug Designs
Click Any Rug To View
4 AK
As the name implies, 4 kalashnikovs in a vertical formation, usually with "tanks" and "helicopters" in the middle.
4 RPG
4 Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers stacked in a vertical formation with smaller tanks, helicopters and grenades in between.
Arsenal
A variety of weapons are shown, but most prominently are the Kalashnikov and M-16 on top. Below them are various ground & air vehicles, grenades, & rifles.
Double AK
Much like the '4 AK' pattern, this features Kalashnikovs in a vertical pattern with tanks, handguns, helicopters, and RPG rounds. Yes, we know what those look like.
War Map
A depiction of russian vehicles exiting Afghanistan, with numerous text labels for the various arms, and the Afghanistan tricolor flag (now banned by the taliban) flying over the country. May include arabic text & when the pattern was woven (see: "2022")
Side AK
One Large Kalashnikov in a vertical pattern with helicopters, handguns, grenades, and what appear to be Russian APCs.
Flags
Flags of the countries heavily involved in afghanistan have been commonly woven into rugs. These may include the US, UK, and even Australia. The US flag shown here has an incomplete crest, and crests wildly vary rug to rug.
Tora Bora Jet Map
A map of Afghanistan, and a depiction of the battle of Tora Bora with the UK, American, and tricolor Afghanistan flag shown with a dove of peace. Bordering countries are also labeled. The Jet is prominent due to the heavy air strikes leading up to the operation in December 2001.
Territories
A map showing the various reigons of afghanistan, with sometimes readable labels of neighboring countries, notably the outdated "USSR" dating back to Soviet occupation. The words "Made in Afghanistan" are pretty self explanatory.
Sidearm
A busier pattern showing Makarov pistols, small russian helicopters & jets, tanks, and grenades. A larger light tank is shown in the middle, and the extra space is filled with even smaller jets and helicopters.
US Soloiers
An obvious misspelling of soldiers, This rug depicts the US invasion of Afghanistan with air power. F16 Fighter jets, chinook helicopters, Drones, and B-52s are seen among other small arms. The noteable features are the phrases "AFGHANS LIBERATED FROM TERRORISTS" and "LONG LIVE US SOLOIERS" as well as 'PENTAGON' and 'WTC'.
Death Of Russia
An alternate '4 AK' pattern with the words "death of Russia", most likely alluding to the fall of the soviet union and the end of soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Helicopters, RPGs, grenades, and tanks fill the empty space of the rug with additional smaller munitions seen.
Afghan War Weapons
A more american-centric design, featuring the M4 carbine, a Humvee and an "army" drone. We have doubts that they know the difference between army and air force drones, but at least they labeled it.
AK 47 Made In Afghanistan
Don't be misled - they're not claiming that AKs are made in afghanistan, they're talking about the rugs, hence the date of weaving '2023' also indicated... These are a simple design fit for any AK nerd's cave.
Arsenal (Alternate)
Featuring a smaller border and more weapons and aircraft, it features both US and Soviet arms & armor, albeit a little more crudely than some other designs.
Opium Poppy & AK
Featuring the opium poppy flowers in the foreground, this style shows a much more detailed depiction of the Kalashnikov in the middle, along with a Russian "Hind" helicopter on top and stinger missile on bottom.
The Fall of Afghanistan
Depicting more than one kind of "fall" from the US's exit in 2021, this rug depicts horrific scene of the people who clung to the landing gear of US aircraft is shown over the skies of Kabul.
War In Ukraine
One of the only designs depicting events to take place outside of Afghanistan. A Russian and Ukranian flag are shown in the center with various NATO and Russian weaponry scattered around the rug.
Atropia
Featuring a turtle & a familiar-looking MP3 player for reasons we'll never understand, "Atropia" refers to a fictionalized country used by the military during training. Below the iPod is a Humvee and 2 AKs.
Opium
Another Opium Poppy rug featuring an arrangement of flowers. The word "OPIUM" is woven into the design as if it wasn't obvious enough. Much less a "war rug" than many of the others, but still part of our collection.
Tank Crew
A classic Soviet-Afghan war design featuring a tank crew, a map of Afghanistan's provinces, and several other illustrations of small arms and vehicles. The tank flies the (now former) colors of Afghanistan.
The 9/11 Attacks marked the beginning of the Global War on Terror, and the first major counter-insurgency efforts by the west.
In Afghanistan, much of the populace had no clue what sparked it all, and why NATO forces were really there.
When these war rugs are woven, artisans (many of which are refugees) likely have no idea exactly what they are depicting, causing them to take a few artistic liberties...
The 9/11 Attacks marked the beginning of the Global War on Terror, and the first major counter-insurgency efforts by the west.
In Afghanistan, much of the populace had no clue what sparked it all, and why NATO forces were really there.
When these war rugs are woven, artisans (many of which are refugees) likely have no idea exactly what they are depicting, causing them to take a few artistic liberties...
In Afghanistan, much of the populace had no clue what sparked it all, and why NATO forces were really there.
When these war rugs are woven, artisans (many of which are refugees) likely have no idea exactly what they are depicting, causing them to take a few artistic liberties...
9/11 Pattern Rugs (Click '+' for more info)
Jumpers
Small stick figures are seen jumping out of the world trade centers. these were inspired by many of the iconic images taken as the upper floors of the towers burned before collapse.
First and second impacts
Illustrations of the planes that struck the towers are shown, with "american flight" most likely referring to American airlines.
On this rug, the word "Impact" also includes "USA" and "flight" is spelled with a 6 instead of a 'g'
Explosions are shown before the planes hit...
Flags & Dove of Peace
An American flag & an Afghan flag merged with a dove of peace in the middle, most likely symbolizing the anti-terror efforts following the attacks.
Missile & Aircraft Carrier
A presumably unknown missile & an aircraft carrier are shown. This is most likely alluding to the initial air strikes on Afghanistan.
September 2001
On the original design, this was meant to be 'September 2001', when the attacks happened. However, some weavers mistake this area as a "Made in 20XX" and will put the date of weaving here. We've seen rugs that depict 9/11 as happening in 2021...
The Terrorists Were In America
Another common misspelling by the weavers, often resulting in things such as "The terrors were in America" and "The terrors were america".
Afghanistan
Afghanistan's outline is seen in the background behind the World Trade Centers.
Drone Pattern Rugs (Click '+' for more info)
The Drone
A depiction of the MQ-1 Predator dones. Newer rugs depict newer drones such as the AQ-9 Reaper, But the pictured rug's pattern is far more common. Other surveilance craft can sometimes be seen on the rugs as well.
Drone Legacy
Since the beginning of the global war on terror, drones were responsible for over 13 thousand known strikes.
They're growing to be as common of an appearance on rugs as the Kalashnikovs and RPGs of the past — indicative of the lasting effects of war on Afghanistan's culture.
The Fall of Afghanistan (Click '+' for more info)
C-130 Escape
During the fall of Kabul, cargo planes filled to the brim with people evacuated the airport as the city fell into chaos and the Taliban closed in nearby.
Below it, the Kabul airport is shown with a rising inferno as parts of the city were razed by the Taliban.
Clinging To The Landing Gear
Most infamously in the ensuing chaos, people attempted to escape Kabul by hiding in the landing gear as the planes took off on the mobbed runways.
This rug depicts the haunting videos seen around the world of the landing-gear stowaways failing to hang on during takeoff.
Large Pattern Rugs
Large Pattern Rugs
Bigger & better patterns woven over an extended period of time by Afghan artisans
Hi-Fi Rugmaking
The pictures don't do these ones justice. Ranging from 1 square meter to 6 square meter area rugs, the larger rugs allow artisans to weave more detailed patterns, including versions of the half-meter designs in higher quality.
These are big enough to be laid out on the floor and really bring the room together.
Measure Up
We refer to sizes of rugs by their Area in square meters, as does our supplier.
To approximate how much space the rug will take up, you can tape a square with the given size (for instance, a 1.25m rug would have 125cm sides)
Note that rug sizes vary slightly. most will be rectangular, but some may be longer. Use our photos and info on the product page for best judgement.
Common Designs — Click Any Rug To View
Red Tanks
Typically the largest and busiest, these feature dozens of tanks, helicopters, airplanes, and fill every space with a beautiful mix of deep colors.
Tank Columns
These come in a variety of sizes, and depict beautifully ornate tank columns, airplanes, and kalashnikovs with intricate trims. By far one of the most interesting artistic depictions of vehicles we've seen.
8 AK
This very large pattern rug features lines of grenades, tanks, transport planes, and Kalashnikovs. For size reference, the AKs are identical in size on all of the rugs.
Red Tanks (Alternate)
A smaller version of the "red tanks" design if you don't need to fill your entire living room with rug.
Tank Columns (alternate)
Typically smaller variants of the "tank columns" rugs. These still feature the similar style of tank depicted with kalashnikovs on the side. While the pattern overall is more plain, it's easier to find them when we restock them, and they're significantly less expensive.
Arsenal Map
Another very busy design featuring what we're lovingly referring to as the "America Gun" front and center. These are usually the most colorful rugs, but not as common as the other variants shown here.
Unique Variants
The larger the rug, the more typical it is to get a mixed bag of ones and twos. We offer the ability to pick out which one you want, along with providing it's measurement in area.
There's too many possible variants to list, so we'll just show the highlights here — we can't guarantee we'll ever get something like these again.
Click Any Rug Below To View
Available Rugs
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More Middle Eastern Goods
Available Rugs
&
More Middle Eastern Goods
&
More Middle Eastern Goods
