KYOTO--With demand for tatami plunging in Japan, a specialized trading firm here is eyeing a potential market of 2 billion people for the traditional mats. The company is selling tatami mats that ...

If you have children, pets, or one of the messier hobbies, you know that the fancy rugs of your dreams are often better left in those dreams. For real life, where preventing mess and spills is ...

Munich, Germany — The sound of Muslim prayer drifts out from the old pub onto the street, as men and women inside kneel on rugs laid down carefully minutes earlier. A Jewish man stands in the ...

Mosques close mosqueA place of worship and prayer for Muslims ... patterns can be seen on everything from rugs and pottery to decoration in books. Islamic art has been around for more than ...

and are sometimes performed on a small rug or mat used exclusively for this purpose. Muslim men pray together in a mosque, where an Imam, a leader in a mosque, leads the congregation in prayer.

Go around the back, however, head up a few flights of stairs and you come to a simple white room, with shoes neatly laid out at the entrance and patterned prayer rugs folded away in a corner.

Cats are even allowed to rest on Muslims' prayer rugs- which are required to be clean and hygienic at all times. The ...

Photo: Michael Hession With its subtle weave variation and elegant diamond pattern, this mat looks more like a flatwoven rug. However, it isn’t especially cushioned. The variegated texture of ...

Besides imposing severe rules on women, new laws require men to grow fist-length beards and bar them from imitating ...

Edmonton leaders working toward reconciliation say newcomers can help further the healing process, but the release of a ...

Get our weekly Home and Garden email for tips, and interior inspiration The only downside can be that rugs often pick up dirt, and you may notice this even more if there are pets in your household.