Ziegler carpet design doesn't sound very Persian. The reason is that this style originated in Europe. In the late 19th century, the Anglo-Swiss firm of Ziegler & Co. was founded in the British city of Manchester to manufacture and distribute Persian carpets. The carpets were knotted in Britain, but production soon moved to the workshops of the Azerbaijani city of Tabriz and especially to Sultanbad in Iran, now Arak, where 111 Iranian villages just around the city became 'factories'. The design was of course based on oriental designs, but these were adapted for the European market, tastes, furniture and households. The carpets were characterised by fewer knots per square metre, and here by lower quality, but this allowed production to increase. The company went bankrupt during the economic crisis, but the Ziegler style endured. Today it is very popular among weavers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ziegler carpets have an atypical design that sets them apart from most oriental carpets. Colours are often beige, cream, and occasionally ivory. On a light background are scattered floral ornaments in red or black tones, a special technique reminiscent of antique and faded Persian carpets, even though they are new.