Turkish Carpet Types

You don't have to be a child to love stories about princes flying on magical carpets between the old houses of ancient Turkey. Though they do not fly, Turkish carpets have magical combinations of colors and motifs that will add an oriental touch to your home. They all have different stories to tell through their designs, materials and methods of creation. Some people consider them works of art.

History

Though it is hard to know when carpets were first created, experts believe that the art of making carpets started in Central Asia. People from Central Asia to Turkey used to make carpets to keep themselves warm during the cold nights and winters. The carpets were hand made out of wool, cotton or sometimes silk, and were used to cover the floors and sometimes the walls and doorways. The Pazyryk Rug is the oldest carpet found and it is believed to have a Turkish origin, though it was found in a tomb in Siberia by a Russian archeologist. Ever since the 13th century, the Turkish carpets have maintained their status of some of the most-sought-after household items all over the world.

Types

The Turkish carpets are classified according to the material used, and there are four types: silk on silk, wool on cotton, wool on wool and viscose on cotton. Other classifications are done according to the weaving method and motifs. Carpets differ from region to region in color, weaving method and motif. There are also different types of carpets for different activities or uses. For example, the rug called "tulu" meaning "long haired" is a rug with very coarse and long pile, woven in the Konya area, and is used as a sleeping mattress.

Weaving

The Turkish carpet consists of two parts, the skeleton and the pile. The skeleton is formed by warps (vertical threads) and wefts (horizontal threads). The pile is made by different colors of thread knotted on the skeleton. The knotting technique is symmetrical or nonsymmetrical. In the symmetrical technique (also known as Turkish knotting), each end of the pile thread is wrapped all the way around two warps, pulled down and cut. In the nonsymmetrical (Persian) knotting technique, one end is wrapped all the way around the warp while the other end goes beside another warp.

Dyes

In the past, Turkish people used vegetable dyes for their carpets, and they are still preferred today, although chemical dyes are also used. The sources of the vegetable dyes are plants animals and minerals. The colors resulted are red, yellow, navy blue, gray, black and brown.

Motifs

The motifs can be generally classified into geometrical and naturalistic designs. Every motif has a meaning and tells a story of the origins and culture of the Turkish society. One of the most commonly used motifs is the "tree of life," and it symbolizes the long life and rebirth. Other motifs are the "horns of animals" symbolizing power, the "hands on hips" meaning female fertility and symbolizing the mother of God, and the "hanging candle," which symbolizes the holy light.

References

• History of Carpets
• All About Turkey

Resources

• Classification of Carpets