By Steven Dahlman

27-Sep-23 – After 52 years in business, including 39 years on LaSalle Street, one of the largest handmade rug stores in the Midwest is going out of business.

Caspian Oriental Rugs made the announcement on September 19.

“It is with a heavy heart that I have made the decision to close the showroom,” said Jamshid Soomekh (left), owner of Caspian Oriental Rugs. “My biggest ‘thank you’ and appreciation goes out to the Chicago community and the thousands of customers we have had the pleasure to serve by delivering the highest-quality rugs and service to their homes and offices.”

In 1961, Jamshid and his brother, Moussa Soomekh, expanded their family’s business in Iran to the United States, selling Oriental rugs to dealers in New York. In 1968, they were providing rugs to John M. Smyth retail stores in Chicago.

Caspian Oriental Rugs was established in 1971, and the brothers went on to open stores in Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and southern California.

In 1978, they opened a store at 904 North Michigan Avenue and when that building was scheduled for demolition, moved Caspian Oriental Rugs to 700 North LaSalle Street.

The 6,000 square foot showroom houses a multi-million-dollar inventory of handwoven rugs and carpets, according to Caspian, “from origins across the globe in every size and style.”

Soomekh says every rug must be sold “in the shortest time possible” at discounts of 50 to 70 percent.