Turkish Rugs

Floral Persian carpets with entwined tendrils illustrate the classic oriental rug for many people. From the 15th century, there was a growing number of collectors of Turkish carpets among the wealthy trading classes of Europe. A Turkish rug, like all other oriental rugs, is stemming from cities, villages, or nomads, branded, and judged by where, how, and by what it was made. Other creations for commercial use, such as For example, elaborate floral-patterned silk rugs woven in the vicinity of Istanbul in Hereke, motivated by Persian and Ottoman court rugs, also fulfilled the Western taste for Turkish rugs during this time and are still being produced today.

However, most of today's collectors are the rustic rugs woven for centuries by women in villages in Turkey. These determine the majority of Turkish collection rugs. However, some 19th century village rugs were also made for the market. Carpets remain an important source of income for the family in these farming communities.

Although the number of nomads is shrinking, carpets continue to be woven, mostly in primary colors, reflecting the graphic motifs of their Central Asian-Turkish heritage. In contrast to other Oriental carpets, Turkish village carpets are characterized by vivid and unusual color combinations and lively geometric patterns. The symbols on a Turkish carpet tell what the ancient people thought was important, what they feared and what they dreamed of. Many symbols on Anatolian rugs are based on myths that are still believed today.

The most common myth in Turkey is the evil eye. It is believed that some people have the power to cause harm or death with just one look from their evil eye. People with blue eyes are more likely to have a bad look than others. One of the best ways to prevent damage is to fill in the gap with a symbol of the evil eye itself. In weaving, a diamond that is divided into four parts is the most common symbol of the eye. Another common symbol is Hayat Agaci, the tree of life. The tree represents the hope of a life after death. Every culture in the world has a different tree of life - such as cypresses, dates, palm trees, pomegranates, figs, olives, beech trees and oak trees.

A young woman weaving stars in her carpet shows her happiness. Stars on carpets usually have an even number of points because it's difficult to weave odd numbers. A star on a rug could also mean the hope of fertile fields or a baby. Archaeologists have discovered in Anatolia statues of mother goddesses who have a star representing the womb.

Women in the Anatolian region of Turkey have been using mythical symbols for thousands of years to express their dreams and fears. Long ago, they knitted socks with various symbols to show their feelings for a loved one.

The oldest symbols were created 9,000 years ago in Catalhoyuk, an ancient village in Anatolia. Archaeologists have found that since then many other cultures have settled in the area and used the same symbols. The region of Anatolia was like a rest stop for travelers from all over the world. But instead of staying for weeks in Anatolia's gigantic stone fortresses (Kervansarays), the human groups remained hundreds of years old. Occasionally they adopted some of the Anatolian culture and symbols. There are many more symbols. Some of them tell of a girl's dreams of marrying others of a woman's hope for a successful hunt. Since Anatolia is such a dry area, waves are a common symbol of how much water is worth. If you know what the Anatolian symbols mean, you know the weavers' dreams and the myths of their culture.

They are looking at a work of art. You quickly realize that Turkish carpets are more cultural symbols than pretty floor coverings, and they have been around for as long as the Turks.