Read about Persian rugs on a Persian rug aggregator website such as The Persian Carpet Gallery, which offers a breakdown of the different regions where Persian rugs are made, a description of their characteristics and images. The Tabriz rugs, for example, may be 12 square feet or larger and come predominantly in dark red and blue with some ivory color.
Purchase a book on Persian rugs; look for one with lots of illustrations in color and detailed information about rug patterns and designs, such as “Persian Rugs and Carpets” by Essie Sakhai, “How to Identify Persian Rugs and Other Oriental Rugs” by C.J. Delabere May, “Persian Carpet Designs” by Mehry M. Reid and “Persian Flatweaves” by Parvis Tanavoli.
Visit a local Persian or Oriental rug store in your area. Rug enthusiasts in the Durham, North Carolina, area, for example, will find The Persian Carpet, Inc., which sells Persian rugs such as Sarouk, Turkish, Kashan and Bakhtiari, as well as crafts, kelims and needlepoint kits, where you can make your own rugs.
Review a rug industry group website such as the Oriental Rug Importers Association, Inc., which offers a membership list you can search for rug wholesalers and restorers in your area. Contact information such as phone numbers, addresses, websites and email addresses are available; one of the industry group members may be willing to take you on as an apprentice or mentor you about Persian rugs.
Try your hand at making a Persian rug through a kit; crafters such as the Oriental Rug Designs company offer canvas, precut yarn and hand tools required to create rugs such as the Bidjar Lewis, Floral Persian, North Persian, Donay Elephant Runner and the Shiraz Square.