Weaving in Turkey....
Turkey has been famous for its handwoven rugs since the 17th Century when Venetian traders introduced "turkeywork" carpets to wealthy Europeans. Many, many Turkish rugs in a variety of qualities come from Anatolia in western and south-western Turkey. Village rugs with medium weave and
with wool pile (and often with wool warp and weft and some vegetable dyes) come from areas like Kozak, Bergama, Milas, Dosemealti, and Malatya. Fine wool rugs on cotton and even silk rugs are woven in Kayseri, and of course Hereke has a centuries-old reputation for producing some of the finest silk carpets ever made. Kars, in extreme north-eastern Turkey, is noted for rugs in designs
very like the Kazaks and Shirvans woven just across the border in Armenia.
Unfortunately for rug buyers (but not for Turks!), Turkey has looked increasingly to Europe in the past twenty years, and as Turkey has Westernized, rug prices have risen dramatically. We do little business directly from Turkey these days, but continue to see some Turkish types in the markets.
For information about rugs from Turkey in Caucasian designs, see Weaving in The Caucasus.
Go here for some rugs from Turkey On Sale®.
Some Rug Types from Turkey....
Silk HEREKE
Extremely fine and supple.
Silk on silk/ 575 knots/sq. in.
2'6" x 4'
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BERGAMO
Typical medallion design.
Wool on wool/ 65 knots/sq. in.
4' x 4'11"
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SHIRVAN
"Lesghi star" design.
Wool on wool/ 65 knots/sq. in.
4'4" x 5'8"
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YAHYALI
From central Turkey.
Wool on wool/ 85 knots/sq. in.
3'3" x 5'7"
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MALATYA
All-over "garden" design.
Wool on cotton/ 65 knots/sq. in.
5'11" x 7'5"
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Go here for photos of weaving and buying rugs in Turkey (5 JPEG
photos, each less than 20k).
© JACOBSEN Oriental Rugs, Inc.
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