The handwoven rugs of various sizes that will soon be displayed in the theater come from all over the world — India, Iran, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Nepal and Tibet, which are the rugmaking regions of the world. The rugs range in size from 1-by-2 feet up to 25-by-40 feet, with prices from $50 up into the hundreds of thousands.

Some of these creations date back two or three centuries. One was only completed by the efforts of eight people working simultaneously six days a week for seven years. Another is made entirely of silk, features more than 1,000 knots per square inch and took the efforts of three people working simultaneously for 3 1/2 years to complete.

"Some of these rugs would take one person's lifetime to create," he said. "(The rug gallery) is something that we realize for Salt Lake might be overkill, but we're not doing it for this market; we're doing it because it's a beautiful facility and hopefully we'll attract more people."

If all goes according to plan, renovations should be complete by early October. Adib invites all from the community to come for its grand opening, with the date still to be determined.

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