Some of the finest tribal pieces are bought and sold in the Yalameh region in central Iran. Besides their fine quality, Yalameh rugs are easily recognisable by their hooked diamond medallions and bright red, blue and cream colour schemes. The hook or ‘Çengel’ motif is common in many varieties of Oriental rugs, and is said to be a ward against the evil eye. While they are fine quality rugs, their tribal origins do limit their size somewhat; most Yalameh rugs fall within the small to medium range.