Buying, Repairing and Cleaning Persian Rugs & Oriental Carpets
This provides a good basis for those getting into rug collecting, with easy question and answer sections that give insider tips. The basics of buying area rugs are included on this website, in addition to repairing and cleaning them. The site warns to beware of fake custom auctions, going out of business sales, moving sales, bankruptcy and remodeling sales. If you are buying on online auctions, do your homework before bidding on any rug from anybody. The site suggests knowing what your budget is before making a purchase, the size of the rug, knowing rug origins, knowing how many knots per square inch, return policies and more.

Bukhara Rugs
Site includes information about Oriental rugs, and is based in Almaty (Kazakhstan), though many cities in Central Asia help find the best carpets. Rugs include Turkmen, Caucasian, Chinese, Persian, Kazakh, as well as an array of decorative items and antique rugs. A gallery of carpets includes photos, while a section on carpet making discusses how people use carpet purchasing for the status of their homes, and how to make the distinction between quality and shifty rugs. Evolution section includes the history of carpeting. Some basics for those entering rug collecting include a glossary defining terms such as Sumak, Kilim, Suzani, and Tekemet.

Rug & Carpet Design Articles & Reviews
Here are some fascinating miscellaneous articles and reviews of rug and carpet design on the website of Thomas Cole, a private dealer in the rugs and textiels of Central Asia: Traces of Tree Worship in the Decorative Patterns of Turkish Rugs by Galina Serkina; A Look at the Word 'Tribal' and Tibetan Rugs at Adraskand - Exhibition Review by Murray Eiland, Jr.; Carpets of Central Asia and The Ballard Collection - St. Louis Museum of Art by George O'Bannon; Silk & Wool - Ottoman Textile Design in Turkish Rugs by Gerard Paquin; Myth and Design - Textile Art of Ancient Inner Asia and Ancient Imprints (looking for design origins in oriental carpets from the Bronze Age) by Tom Cole; Patterned Reed Screens of the Kirghiz in the State Historical Museum, Frunze by Stella Mateeva and Jon Thompson; The Karakalpak Rug Collection of the Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow by L.G. Beresneva; Northern Tibet Exploration - Archaeological Discoveries of the Changthang Circuit Expedition 1999 and The Ancient Amulets Of Tibet: Thogchags - A Collection of Miniature Masterpieces by John Belleza.

Paintings Inspired by Rugs and Textiles
When Thomas Stocker looks at a century-old woven rug from Turkey or Persia, he sees a painting. He translates the bold geometry and color from the language of the loom to the painter's canvas. While many works are literal interpretations of existing carpets, other works synthesize traditional expressions with themes in contemporary culture and aesthetics. The Massachusetts-based artist currently is featured in several Northeast exhibitions for his work in carpet and rug painting. He paints in all styles, from Americana to Navajo.

Silk and Wool: Ottoman Textile Designs in Turkish Rugs
An excellent article by Gerard Paquin on a University of Virginia research site that is rich with links to many colorful examples to illustrate his points. It's a course of study in itself.

Here's the site: RugCollecting.com

Or see samples of area rugs crafts (e.g., making rugs).