Western Rugs
The origin of carpet weaving in Europe is not very clear but some western countries did produce flat weaves and carpets more than a thousand years before the pile carpets were introduced in Europe.
Many evidences show that Oriental carpets were first time imported after 1000 AD. That means that the technique of pileknotting could at least be known(if not right away imitated resulting in western rugs) at that time.
Western rugs usually were woven using the single knot. The proof of that fact can be found in Spanish carpets(but no link with Spanish weavers has been determined clearly).
At the beginning of 13 century Eleanor of Castile brought along with her into England a great number of Spanish rugs.
That types of western rugs may have come from Cordoba or Granada.
Step-by-step, the wealthier men of England started using western rugs in their rich homes.
Many people believe that Venice had imported area rugs from Asia in the 15th century and that means Europeans liked Oriental rugs more then that of their own.
That is proved by the fact that by the end of the 17th century, Persian rugs were the highly appreciated in Europe.
In the middle of the 19th century almost all Europian countries were weaving rugs of their own.
Today, handmade western rugs are rare as industry of their productions cannot compete with the quality and low cost of labor of Oriental rugs.