Traditionally a sleeping rug, a Gabbeh is a hand-woven pile rug characterized by an abstract design that relies upon open fields of color and a playfulness with geometry. Gabbeh carpets are much thicker than other Persian rugs. The word Gabbeh comes from the Persian word gabbe, meaning raw, natural, uncut.

A Gabbeh rug displays playful simplicity in its design, with a limited number of decorative, mostly rectangular shapes resembling mainly animals. Usually, bright colors are used, such as yellow and red. Gabbehs are made of natural, handspun wool yarn, and all the colors are created with natural plant dye.