Historical Ardebil Carpet Links 10 Downing Street and Hitler's Office

The Ardebil Carpet, a 16th-century Persian textile, connects the British Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street and Adolf Hitler's Berlin office through identical copies. Originally commissioned by Safavid ruler Shah Ismail for the shrine of Shaykh Safi-Addin Ardebili, the carpet is now housed at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, which describes it as the world's oldest dated carpet. The V&A acquired the piece in the 1870s through networks that transported numerous Persian artifacts to Europe. While the museum suggests the carpet was sold after an earthquake, historical records show no seismic activity in the Ardebil region at that time. The article also questions the museum's assumption that male weavers created this court-commissioned masterpiece, noting that traditional Persian weaving has been predominantly women's work.