Qashqai

The Qashqai are a Turkic tribal confederation of the Oghuz branch living in southern Iran, mainly in Fars province. For centuries they migrated to summer pastures in the Zagros Mountains and to winter quarters near the Persian Gulf; part of them still lead a nomadic life.

Qashqai is close to Azerbaijani. The carpets woven by Qashqai women and their thick, simply patterned gabbeh rugs are known worldwide. Iran holds no ethnic census, so their numbers are only estimates.