Milanese popular
The Story of Reza, the Iranian Carpet Master Who Chose Milan
“The first thing I did was visit San Siro,” smiles Reza Dehghani, as he recalls his first days in Milan. Born in Ardabil, Iran, Reza learned the art of carpet weaving as a child in his uncle’s factory during school holidays.
In 2006, he joined his brother in Italy — and as a passionate AC Milan fan, his new life couldn’t begin anywhere else but the stadium. But soon, beyond football, Reza fell in love with the city itself — its harmony, discipline, greenery, and deep respect for history.
In 2014, he made his dream come true by opening “Azerbaijan,” a shop dedicated to the sale, restoration, and cleaning of handmade carpets. A few years later, he expanded with a showroom on Via Emanuele Filiberto 3, in the heart of the Sempione district.
Today, Reza imports carpets from all across the Middle East, but his favorites are still the handwoven silk rugs from Iran and especially the vintage pieces he restores and re-dyes — giving each one a second life.
“Every carpet has a story — you just have to listen,” he says proudly.
And perhaps, in a way, his own story is just like the carpets he loves: threads of past and future, reborn with new colors — right here in Milan.
By Claudia Cannella
