Nabi Nasseri started helping his mother in her Oriental rug shop when he was a six-year-old boy. He went through school and studied to be an electrical engineer, but never lost his love for oriental rugs. He has always seen more in the rugs….the architecture of their design….the structure incorporated in their manufacture. Studying computers in school gave him even more appreciation for oriental rugs; he realized that the women who make the rugs have incredible skills.

Today, having left his engineering career, he owns the Art Underfoot gallery in Old Town Alexandria. Stepping into the store is like entering Ali Babbas cave.

It is a large deep space with oriental rugs from floor to ceiling, including unusual tribal pieces.

But there is much more to the story…

Nabi owns his own factory in Central Asia, which you see in the accompanying photos. Does it look crude? Yes, they make rugs the old fashioned way…the way their people have been making them for hundreds of years. You can see in the photos that they use natural dye colors, which are mixed in vats outdoors. And craftsmen on traditional looms weave the rugs by hand.

So Nabi owns the factory, but in that region his worker’s children do not have schools to attend. They do not have many of the amenities and luxuries that we have. So Nabi started a school for the children, it is the Art Underfoot School, and in the photos you can see the students in the classrooms. Nabi travels regularly to his factory, and also visits his school. He brings back the finest carpets and rugs.

Art Underfoot really is “the source.” You are buying from the factory; there are no middlemen. This is the way to really get a good value, and a rug your family will cherish.

Nabi is also a connoisseur of fine antique rugs, and you will find a large selection of antique rugs in his gallery.Art Underfoot is not just an Oriental rug store. You can bring your rugs here for skillful repairs and cleaning. Art Underfoot specializes in reweaving.

Nabi’s entire family helps in the gallery. His twelve year old son Yosuf helps with customers and shows carpets. Daughter Mariam, who is thirteen, helps with the accounting for the business.