Turkish Carpets

Carpet weaving has a long tradition in Turkey. Turkish carpets/ Turkish Rugs are of excellent quality and design. Turkish carpets are also called as Anatolian carpets. Turkish carpets and rugs manufactured in the 16th and 17th century are fully comparable with the Persian carpets. These carpets were mainly influenced by the Greek traditions. These carpets are knotted carpets and are better known as flat weaves or the Kilims. These Turkish carpets are an expression in the form of an art for the Turks. Carpets in Turkey is a way of life.

Enlarge View

Enlarge View

Enlarge View

Design and Motifs
Turkish motifs are a complete language. They are the expressions of the weavers who are generally women. Though the motif arrangement may vary with the region, they speak the same language. The periods they belong to are also reflected in the motives.


The borders of Anatolian rugs and carpets are usually wide. At times the width of the field is less than the width of the two borders. This results in the narrowing of the field. Borders are crowded with numerous small motifs. Often borders are more crowded than the the field. Kufic calligraphy and Mihrab designs are commonly used on these carpets. Mihrab designs that are found predominantly are :

• Double-ended mihrab
• The horse-shoe shaped arch
• The triple arch
• The three curved arch
• The waisted mihrab
• The mihrab supported by two or four pillars, the V-shaped mihrab and the stepped mihrab.

Medallion design is also common. All over designs are less common although some "all-over carpets" exist as well. Either single or Multiple medallions are woven on the carpets. These medallions are large and comes in square, diamond, star or hexagon shapes. Hexagons with different format are also common. Turkish carpets with the all-over layout also tend to have rows of attached diamonds, squares or hexagons with smaller motifs encapsulated within them. Just like Caucasian rugs and carpets tarantula and crab motifs are also used in Anatolian rugs and carpets.

Types of Turkish Carpets
Turkish carpets are weaved in different parts of Turkey. On the basis of their origin, Turkish carpets can be categorized as follows:

Bergama carpets Antalya Carpets Hereke Carpets Ladik Carpets Kars Carpets Kayseri Carpets Kazak Carpets

Kula Carpets Kulluce Carpets Milas Carpets Taspinar Carpets Yahyali Carpets Yaqcibedir Carpets Oushak Carpets

Weaving Style
Knotted carpets are generally woolen on a cotton base. Silk carpets also exist but woolen carpets are preferred more. The foundation may be silk for the silk pile carpets. The Turkish kilims are woolen flat weaves with bold patterns. A different colored yarn is introduced in the weft to create the design. The two yarns are not joined thus creating slits where the different colored pattern begins and ends. Natural dyes are used to color the yarn.

Turkish Prayer Carpets and Rugs
Turkish prayer carpets and rugs are simple in design yet very elegant and beautiful. These types of rugs and carpets consist of symbolic objects such as columns, vases, lamps, combs, rosewater jugs, and the Hand of Fatima where the devotees place their hands when kneeling on the rug. Some of the prayer rugs consist of multiple prayer niches or mihrabs. These types of rugs are used by several worshipers at the same time.

Dyes and Colors on Turkish Carpets
Anatolian carpets are colored by using natural dyes obtained from plants, berries and trees. Chemical dyes are also used but as compared to natural dyes, they are less attractive. Some of the natural dyes used in the Turkish carpets and rugs are as follows:

Dyes Woad (Civit Otu) Blue
Light and blue tones are are produced from this plant

Madder Red (Kok Boya)
The plants root is called as madder. It lends rich deep toned red color to the carpets.

Ox-Eye Camomile (Sari Papatya), Bright Yellow
Plants large golden yellow flowers are used along with an alum mordant, produce a bright yellow.

Walnut Tree (Ceviz), Brown
Brown dyes are extracted from this tree which adheres directly to wool fibers without a mordant

Pomegranate Tree
Used to extract Yellow to brownish yellow and brown to black color dyes

Buckthorne Deep Yellow
The unripe fruits of Buckthorne are used to create the dyes. After being processed they yield deep yellow color. The yellow color so extracted are used to dye silk.

Supurge (Sutlegen), Yellow
Supurge also yields yellow color.

Wild Camomile (Beyaz Papatya), Yellow
Wild Camomile (Beyaz Papatya), Yellow

Turkish carpet Materials
Materials used for manufacturing Turkish carpets are:
Wool on Wool
This type of carpet uses wool for pile, warps, and wefts. Wool carpets are less expensive carpets with more traditional designs and patterns. The knot density is less as compared to wool on cotton and silk on silk.

Wool on cotton
This type of carpet uses wool pile on cotton warps and wefts. The knot count in this carpet is higher and is much more intricate as compared to woolen carpet.

Silk on Silk
This is a beautiful carpet utilizing silk for pile, warp and weft. Weave is fine and the pattern is intricate. Design is pleasing with floral and geometrical patterns woven on the carpet in different manner.

About Turkey
Turkey, is one of the oldest continually inhabited regions in the world. It is located at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Turkey has a very diverse culture that is a blend of various elements of the Oguz Turkic and Anatolian, Ottoman (which was itself a continuation of both Greco-Roman and Islamic cultures), and Western culture and traditions which started with the Westernization of the Ottoman Empire and continues today.