Herati

Herati is an adjective used for things associated with Herat, a historic city in western Afghanistan, or for people and cultural forms linked to that region. The term is widely used in reference to the city’s linguistic, artistic, and craft traditions, as well as to decorative patterns found on textiles.

Geography and history: Herat is the capital of Herat Province, located in western Afghanistan near the Iranian border along the Hari River. It has long been a strategic crossroads on Silk Road routes, and during the Timurid era (14th–15th centuries) it developed as a major center of learning, art, and architecture. The city houses historic sites such as the Friday Mosque and the Arg (citadel), and it has played a continuing role in Afghan cultural life.

People and language: The inhabitants are called Heratis. The region’s main language is Persian-influenced Dari, often referred to as Herati Persian in its distinctive dialectal features; the area is ethnically diverse, with Tajiks, Pashtuns, and other groups.

Arts and crafts: The Herati pattern is a classic textile motif associated with carpets from Herat. It typically presents a central floral rosette surrounded by leaf-like motifs arranged in a diamond lattice, producing a stylized, repeating field. The design has been used in Persian and Afghan carpets since the medieval period and remains widely recognized in rug terminology. The term also appears in references to the Herat School of miniature painting, notably during the Timurid period with painters such as Bihzad.