Persian handicraft of Gereh Chini

Gereh Chini, literally meaning arranging the knots, is one of the traditional decorative and applicable handicrafts of Iran.

In the art of Gereh Chini, the Gereh or knot particularly geometric knots are, in fact, intersections of pieces of woods that have been attached by locking in each other and create delicate designs.  

The beginning of Gereh Chini has not been dated exactly, but the Seljuk era (1037–1194) is known to be the first time this craft was used and Isfahan is its birthplace.  

Some of the best remaining examples of Gereh Chini are Chehel Sotoon (literally Forty Columns), Hasht Behesht (literally Eight Heavens), and historic houses like Alam’s House and Sheikh ol-Islam in Isfahan.

There are also House of Tabatabaei in Kashan, Abbasian, Boroujerdi, Golestan Palace, and other such buildings in Yazd and Tehran. Today, there are Gereh Chini workshops in Tehran where this craft is still practiced.

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