Hratch Kozibeyokian

Hratch Kozibeyokian, born on August 12, 1951, in Aleppo, Syria, is an Armenian American expert in oriental rugs. He comes from a family of Armenian genocide survivors and was raised in Lebanon, where his ancestors were traditional master weavers from Aintab and Zeitun. In 1977, he moved to the United States to join his father's oriental rug business and settled in Los Angeles in 1979. Kozibeyokian earned a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Chapman University.

In 1990, he established KO'Z'Craft, a workshop specializing in restoring and conserving hand-woven antique textiles and carpets. His work has been exhibited in a gallery in West Hollywood. He owns an extensive collection of rare Armenian and Caucasian rugs and textiles and has organized numerous exhibitions, lectures, and symposia to promote the importance of Armenian weaving heritage.

Kozibeyokian was the first to introduce an academic course on the history of traditional Armenian rugs at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), as part of its Armenian Studies Program. He has also lectured on Armenian rug weaving culture in various high schools and colleges. His expertise has been recognized by connoisseurs of antique rugs, and he has written numerous articles on Armenian weaving techniques.

In 2014, Kozibeyokian represented the Armenian Rugs Society at the White House, presenting President Calvin Coolidge's Armenian Orphan Rug. He joined the Armenian Rugs Society in 1998 and was elected its president in 2015. Los Angeles Magazine named him the "best oriental rug restorer of Los Angeles" in 2005, dubbing him the "rug doctor."