Profile

Zepur Madayan took over the family’s carpet legacy from her husband, Mardiros Madayan, who continues to serve as her expert and adviser.

Mardiros Agop Madayan was born on April 8, 1946, in Beirut to a modest Armenian family. His fascination with antique carpets began around the age of eight. Although he initially pursued theological studies at an Armenian monastery seminary, his true passion lay in textiles. Representing the fourth generation of his family’s lineage, Mardiros inherited this craft from his grandfather, carrying on a tradition started by his great-grandfather.

He officially entered the business in 1965, starting in a tiny two-by-two-meter shop with a single carpet dated 1877, which he sold to Dr. Hugh Harcourt, a professor of cultural studies at the American University of Beirut (AUB). In 1977, to safeguard his growing and prestigious collection, Madayan relocated to the Zurich Free-Zone.

By 1980, he was supplying carpets to major European dealers, rapidly earning a reputation as a widely renowned international antique-carpet expert. Today, the estate boasts an impressive collection of over 7,000 antique carpets, Kilims, and bagfaces, alongside 7,000 contemporary pieces.

Having made Switzerland his home in the 1980s, Mardiros married Zepur in 1990. Together, they embody the very essence of the trade, where invaluable experience and deep knowledge are passed down through generations.