Carpet Making in Turkey
We were invited to see the works of the women and learn more about the art and know that their work is available for sale. They do not advertise on the internet. Their business is by word of mouth and by invitation. They are very personal and hospitable in presenting what they have. They are not high pressure sales people. They are interested in promoting an ancient art form and providing income for the local women.
Our guide through the world of carpet making was a gentleman named Cavat (pronounced Jevat). We first were told about the use of natural products to dye the weaving material (wool, cotton and silk). Some of the materials used to die the threads are walnut shell, onion skins, saffron, henna, asofetida, corn silk and other pollens and vegetable based dyes. They do not use chemicals in their dyeing process.
- Various Dyes for Coloring Threads
We were also shown the weaving process and how they develop and process the silk. For they harvest silk worms and produce their own silk threads with the same process as the Chinese.
It takes up to 16 months to make a large rug, so you can see that this product is labor intensive and why the cost is as it is. The commitment of these ladies on a piece is incredible, for one mistake can upset the design and will set one back time wise.
There is quite a history of Turkish carpets. There was a design that became popular in the time of Thomas Jefferson. He was given a carpet by the Turkish ruler at the time as a gift in friendship. This design was later copied and has been in many government buildings.
Design for Thomas Jefferson
The carpets made also have tribal symbols on them and local cultural symbols. Cavat explained some of the symbolism on the rugs, but as he expressed, there is so much to learn about carpets that it would take more than a lifetime to learn. I will try to repeat at least some of the material that he gave us but I must admit it was too much for me to capture in a few hours time.
Cavat Explaining Symbolism in Carpets
The carpets sometimes tell a story. This carpet is called the St. Nicholas Carpet. There is a lot of symbolism in this one. One could look at it as a Trinity symbol or as Cavat pointed out there are many different kinds of symbols in it. The three stars can also represent the three chances that a persons has in life. The five white dots on the side represent the 5 commands of Islam. The large objects on the second rectangular frame represents the female goddess Sabile. She represents family, pregnancy and fertility. The circular symbols with the blue and white represent protection from the evil eye. There is also a ying-yang design with the blue and brown zig zags. The carpets incorporate older symbolism such as Hittite styles and becomes a message from the past to us today.
Carpet of varied design
Early style carpet
Patterned Symbol in Carpets
There is quite a collection of carpets to choose from. I had a few favorites that I liked.
A good collection of carpets
One of my favorites
Besides the regular collection of carpets there is a special section of treasured carpets. These are extraordinary pieces. Many of them are of silk and some are antiques.
Antique Carpet
Another early style
Some of the silk carpets have an interesting characteristic. When placed on top of a light source they look a bit like a blacklight scene. They look absolutely beautiful in daylight, but have an interesting look with a light source behind them.
Silk carpet backlit for effect
And one of the most beautiful carpets we were shown was a carpet of The Last Supper. This carpet has 400 double knots per sq. cm. It is very precious and is one of the most expensive. It is backlighted and is most beautiful in natural light.
The Last Supper Carpet
I can’t thank the people at The Carpet Weaver’s Association enough for the experience they offered. If you ever have a chance to visit Turkey and wish to see and purchase a beautiful carpet, don’t miss this wonderful experience. Desen Halicilik is only 500 meters from the Bus Station in Bergama, Turkey. Their e-mail address is dsncarpet@hotmail.com.
I think this project is a good one for all involved and is one of the projects the government of Turkey is providing for the development of opportunities for women. I wish them the best and great success.
Red Sky at Night » Turkey – Assos to Dikili says:
February 13th, 2012 at 2:29 pm
[…] and a tour. We took him up on his offer. That was an experience in itself and Mary has written an article about it on her blog. We had lunch and wine at the site and saw a lot of carpets. They have a lot […]
Joanne Borden says:
December 10th, 2012 at 8:55 pm
I visited a carpet weaving place several miles outside of Izmir, Turkey and purchased 2 hand-made rugs. They were to be made and sent to me in 3 months. It is 3 months now and I have not received word or rugs as of yet. I was part of a Rick Steves Tour of Village Turkey. The date I was there was 7,Sept. 2012. They have received the money.
Joanne Borden 360 866-4783
Isabel Kershaw says:
February 1st, 2013 at 10:20 am
We ordered a carpet from there when on holiday in Nov 2012. We asked to buy the one which I had helped make (ie I was allowed to do two knots in it!). They explained it wouldn’t be ready until Jan so would arrive end of Jan. it arrived safely 3rd week in jan. It is beautiful but we suspect it isn’t the exact one I helped with!! It is however the same pattern, colours, materials and quality. It looks even more beautiful here then it did in Turkey. Oh, they did take the remaining money on the credit card earlier than we were expecting but that may have tied in with when they dispatched. A happy experience and I’d buy from them again. I hope yours arrives soon.
Frits says:
July 19th, 2014 at 4:14 am
While on an organized tour through Turkey we visited two so called ‘co-ops’. We were shown the techniques of carpet weaving and many wonderful carpets. The guide was an astute salesman. All very well until at the very end the prices came to the fore. Nothing is marked with a price. Each salesman is armed with a large calculator and pricing is subject to endless bargaining. And do they almost force you to buy. The prices in my view were exorbitant even when bargained down to the ground. I took this experience up with carpet dealers in Istanbul. All of them started laughing and commented on the hoax tourists are exposed to by these so called ‘co-ops’. I was told that it was a money making racket: the tour guide earns commission on each deal. Add to it further commission by the salesman and one wonders what eventually is paid to the poor hard working women who we were told are to benefit from this Government supported scheme? But there is a little unwelcome surprise when you opt for having delivered the carpet to your doorstep. O yes, they offer to pay for the costs thereof which we were told was sponsored by the Government. Wish we had such a government. But what they failed to tell us is that custom duties (as high as 30% of the value of the carpet in certain countries) as well as VAT (14% in our country) and further clearance costs will make up a nice bill which must be settled in full before delivery. So its an expensive exercise and I have my doubts on the laudability of the scheme apart from it being a sales pitch. Be warned!!!
marym says:
April 6th, 2015 at 6:40 am
Buying handmade carpets in Turkey or any other country is expensive. It can take a person up to 6 months or more to make a carpet, depending on the style, color treatment of the material and other factors. Also, the hand-making of carpets is a dying art. These coops are providing skills and jobs for women and men. Yes, the salesmen are very good at what they do. They wish to get the best price for themselves, however, they also need to make sales. All of Turkey is like this. The eastern method of bargaining is foreign to many westerners and can be very tedious. There is a way to go about this that is mutually beneficial. One never has to buy anything in a carpet shop, not matter how much food, tea or wine is provided. There sometimes is intense verbal persuasion, but never an obligation to buy. If one likes a carpet, they should offer what they wish to pay. If it is not acceptable for the cost of production it will not be agreed with. Just remember carpet shops have to make sales and will bargain, but it should be fair to both the producer and the buyer should be happy with the purchase. As for customs duties that is a problem in some countries no matter what you buy. You are importing goods and countries almost always put duty on this. Just a few thoughts.
levent says:
March 17th, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Would you please ask Mr. Frits,that where and who he blames in his comment?I think he is confused in between shops in Istanbul and the original production areas of the geniuen Turkish carpets.
We are from Pergamon Turkey and we always stand behind the qualityof our carpets and we pay very high attention not to exploid any women,making carpets here in this area.