ALIZABETH Martin isn’t promising the beautiful handcrafted Persian rugs she has on show in her carpet showroom will fly – but she believes there’s enough magic woven into each one to explore the possibilities.

‘‘These are the rugs of an ancient civilisation that is so strongly threaded with knowledge and skill that anything is possible,’’ says Alizabeth.

The Australian-born entrepreneur fell in love with the culture of Iran, which was formerly known as Persia, when she spent 18 months living there with her husband and five children 10 years ago. ‘‘It is the most intriguing place, with so much art, poetry and culture,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s nothing like the image that is sent abroad. It’s a country where the people are warm, well educated, welcoming and attuned to their values. ‘‘I know that’s not how many people outside, particularly in the West, see Iran, but having lived there for the time I did, it’s an amazingly beautiful and spiritual place, rich in philosophy and tradition, where family and children are very important.’’

Alizabeth formed a close bond with the country and its people, and one of her daughters, Serena, married an Iranian, returning to live in Melbourne. ‘‘When we came back, I was in Melbourne visiting my daughter and realised that she, of all people, didn’t own a Persian rug,’’ said Alizabeth. ‘‘So I took her out to a shop and bought one. We got talking to the owners who were from one of Iran’s oldest cultural areas, Isfahan, and they offered to supply us with carpets if we opened a shop in Queensland.

‘‘It took a bit of thinking, but the idea was so appealing. I wanted to share the beauty of the craftmanship of Iran, and this was a perfect way to do it.’’

Alizabeth opened her showroom and warehouse – 1001 Nights The Persian Carpet Garden – at West Burleigh and stocked it with a beautiful range of handwoven natural fibre rugs, including silk, wool, cotton and mixed materials. She also featured some less expensive machine woven rugs in different styles to offer customers a wider choice.

Her business motto ‘home is where the carpet lies’, is fitting because today’s home designs lend themselves to having feature floor coverings.

Alizabeth prefers customers to make an appointment to see the rugs, so she can give them personal attention and one-on-one service. 1001 Nights-The Persian Carpet Garden is located at 3/34 Township Drive, West Burleigh. Call 0419 003 001 to book an appointment.