OUR STORY
A Legacy Across Generations
For generations, Persian rugs have been more than objects of trade within our family. They have represented craftsmanship, memory, knowledge and cultural continuity. What began in Tehran grew through decades of experience, international trade and a deep appreciation for Persian carpets as works of art and cultural heritage.
The legacy behind the collection
An established Tehran dealer in Persian rugs and antiques. Together with his wife Victoria Lahijani, he raised and mentored Mohammad Ali Farahani from childhood, passing on his knowledge of antique rugs and connoisseurship.
Trained by Albert, Mohammad Ali became his trusted partner at the Ferdowsi Street shop, helping connect Persian rugs with collectors across Europe and the United States. After Albert's death, he carried the tradition forward and founded Farahani Gallery.
1940s — Tehran
A family bond and a lifetime of learning began.
International Expansion
Their rugs reached collectors in Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
2020 — The Legacy Renewed
Mohammad Ali and Mehdi Farahani helped the third generation, Seyedmohammad Aqili, revive the family's international connections.
Carrying the legacy forward
Today, this legacy continues through active family involvement. Built on inherited knowledge and shaped by a new generation creating a legacy of its own, Farahani Aqili Gallery has expanded across borders while remaining rooted in the study, selection and appreciation of antique Persian rugs.
Guided by stewardship rather than commerce alone, we seek rare, authentic and culturally significant pieces, preserve them, share the knowledge behind them and place them with collectors who understand their value. Our aim is not simply to preserve the past, but to carry its knowledge and values into new cultural contexts, extend the spirit of Persian art across the world and ensure that future generations can experience what we inherited.
Representing the new generation, Seyedmohammad leads Farahani Aqili Gallery's international development across Europe and Asia, focusing on the study, selection and presentation of collectible antique Persian rugs.
Active in the rug market since the age of eighteen, Mehdi maintains the family's direct connection to Iran's historic rug trade, contributing local knowledge, sourcing expertise and continuity.
With a background in the fine art business and investment, complemented by business studies at Oxford, Xiaoyue represents Farahani Aqili Gallery in Hong Kong and connects the collection with new audiences across Asia.
For us, this is about more than trading rugs. We see ourselves as stewards of a legacy and a body of knowledge entrusted to us by those who came before — something to preserve, deepen, and pass on to future generations with the same care and respect.
A living legacy, carried forward.
The collection
Selected antique and collectible rugs, available for private inquiry.
View Collection