Turkish Carpets and rugs are among the oldest weaving art products of Anatolia. Turks knew how to weave carpets and rugs as early as Central Asia.
The covers and spreads they made by knotting woolen threads in a way that left the ends free, based on animal hides, turned into handicrafts in time, on which hundreds of motifs were finely embroidered in a harmony of color. Finds showing that the Turks knew the knotted weaving technique since the 5th century BC were found in the Pazırık Mound in the Altai Mountains. Vintage Turkish rugs can be said to date back to 5th century BC
The Seljuks spread carpet art to Anatolia after the 11th century. The carpets that have survived from them are exhibited in many of our museums, especially the Museum of Turkish Islamic Art in Istanbul. The richness of the colors and motifs of these carpets is astonishing. The color harmony obtained with various shades of the same color, geometric patterns, plant motifs show how much carpets were developed in Turks in terms of decoration.
Seljuk carpet weaving developed on trade routes. Konya, Kayseri, Sivas and Aksaray are the most important cities that continue this art to this day. Uşak, Kula, Demirci, Gördes, Bergama and Milas were also important weaving centers with their world-famous carpets. Carpet weaving in these regions was mostly practiced by Turkmen tribes. Turkmen tribes such as Kınık, Teke, Yanut, Kaçar, Avşar, Karakeçili and Kayı would embroider the crests of their tribes on the carpets and rugs they wove.
Rugs Motifs
The motifs in vintage Turkish rugs are the symbolic equivalent of the event or object that the weaver designs or intends to convey. As in other handicrafts, motifs also function as the expression of emotions through symbols.
In some places, blue beads were placed inside the rugs while they were being woven, and sometimes a piece of the weaver’s hair was added. It was believed that the beads and hair would bring good luck. The colors and motifs used in these carpets and rugs varied according to the region. Dyes obtained from plants and plant roots with special methods were used. Thus, the vibrant colors of nature were embroidered on carpets and rugs.
Amulet (Evil Eye) Rug Motifs
Charms; reduce the effect of evil eyes. If the amulet; protects its owner from bad events.
Evil eye is believed to be found in some people; It can be defined as an effective force arising from the gaze that harms especially vulnerable and glamorous people, pets, and valuable objects. Babies who get sick untimely or glasses or plates broken during an important event are interpreted as signs of the evil eye. In order to protect from such negative events, the ritual of using the evil eye or evil eye bead has emerged.
Hand on Waist (Elibelinde) / Ram Horn and Bukagi Motifs
Hand on his waist: It is a symbol of motherhood, femininity and productivity.
The masculine power that makes up the family, on the other hand, represents the ram’s horn motif.
Bukagi motif on Turkish Rugs are a symbol of family unity
Although Ottoman carpets and rugs continue the tradition of Seljuk carpet art, plant and animal motifs are replaced by geometric patterns and religious motifs. During the Ottoman period, Gördes, Kula, Lâdik, Bergama, Milas, Uşak, İzmir, Kayseri, Sivas, Kütahya and Hereke were the centers of carpet and rug weaving.
In addition to the carpet weaving that developed in Anatolia, after the 15th century, a different type of carpet emerged in terms of technique and motifs, called Ottoman palace carpets. These carpets were decorated with tulips, carnations, hyacinths, roses, leaves and various floral motifs. Woven with a technique called Persian knot, Ottoman palace carpets had a softness reminiscent of velvet and were woven very densely.
(Source: Aris magazine December 1997 Prof.Dr.Oktay Aslanapa)
The oldest known carpet in history; Pazirik Carpet
The wool carpet discovered in the Pazirik Kurgans Altai Territory and dated to the 5th century BC is the oldest known carpet in the world. The dimensions of the carpet are 195*205 cm, which is approximately 4 square meters. It was woven from very fine wool and 36 Gördes knots were found in each square cm.
How to clean vintage Turkish rug
Lay the rug you are going to wash on a clean and large surface. Then run the warm water over the rug and lather the detergent water on the rug with a sponge or a non-hard brush. Make sure that the lathering process is not done in a circular motion, but by shaking the rug left and right.
Some plants used in herbal dyeing in Turkish Rugs and the colors obtained
Even after the period when the colors of the rugs entered Turkey with chemical dyes, root dyes obtained from natural products are used. Apart from root dye, some plants or fruits are also used, these are given in the table below.
| Plant Species | Parts Used in Painting | Obtained Colors |
| Root Color (Rubia tinctoria) | Subsoil shoots of the plant | Brown-red |
| Buckthorn (Rhamnus tinctoria) | Berries | Yellow and brown tones |
| Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) | Plant stem | Yellow-green yellow |
| Walnut (Juglans regia) | All parts of the plant | Khaki and all shades of green |
| Onion (Allium cepa) | Tuber outer skins | Dark brown-orange |
| Vine (Vitis vinifera) | Leaves | Green tones |
| Red pine (Pinus brutia) | Trunk bark | Yellow-green |
| Euphorbia (Euphorbia tinctoria) | Whole plant | Yellow-green and its shades |
| Labada (Rumex conglomeratus) | Seeds | Brown and its shades |
| Feminine (Berberis crataegina) | Whole plant | Yellow and its shades |
| Daisy (Anthemis tinctoria) | Whole plant | Yellow and its shades |
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Sources: dekoloji.com
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