For centuries, carpets have been coveted by shahs, emperors, conquerors and chieftains. Historian Dorothy Armstrong tells the stories of twelve fascinating carpets, from the 5th Century BC, to the rug under the boots of Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill at Yalta in 1945.

• Guest: Dorothy Armstrong, historian of the material culture of South, Central and West Asia, University of Oxford. Author of Threads of Empire
• Producer: Alex Tighe