Turkish rugs and Turkish carpets

It is thought that the art of rug weaving is thought to have orignated in the Neolithic age, about 7000 BC in central Asia. Nomadic tribes would have brought the craft into Turkey. The earliest type of rug produced was the flatweave; piled or knotted rugs appeared as a later development.

A nomadic tribe en route to the summer pastures

The ancient Turkish nomadic tribes such as the Uyghurs, Seljuks and Ottomans would take their flocks of sheep, cattle and goats to high ground for the richer pasture during the summer and return to sea level for the winter months. Flatwoven items were used for tent dors, sacks for food, clothing and bedding as well as floor coverings. This tradition still survives today, although in very small numbers as most have now settled in permanent villages.

Flatweaves are often referred to by the generic name kilim but this is slightly misleading as kilims are only one type of flatweave, the others are Cicim, Zili and Soumak. Each of these is produced by slight variations in weaving technique, producing different materials which were originally suitable for different uses. See our #kilim# glossary entry for further explanation.

A kilim under construction showing how the motifs are created separately from the ground

Flatweaves are made by tribe members or by villagers for daily needs. They are named after tribes, families, villages and towns that they are made in, or even after the motifs used on them. The Yoruks and Turkomans have also placed their tribal signatures among the patterns, making these weaves cultural objects as well.

In a kilim, the weft (horizontal yarn) passes over and under each warp (vertical yarn) until the edge of the motif is completed, then returns back to form the next weft. This technique leaves an empty slit between the motifs. The resultant weaving is completely "finished" on both sides.

In Cicim (or Cecim) weaving, the weft is wrapped around three warps. Furthermore, instead of the weft being turned back on itself, the wool is left hanging at the back of the piece while the weft is continued in a new colour. The hanging wool is then reused on a subsequent weft when the colour is required again, perhaps on another motif. This results in the back of the piece having threads of wool crossing between motifs.

Cecim weaving

In the Sili (or Zili) technique, the motif is composed by passing the weft yarn over two, three or five warps, then under the next warp. The effect is to create vertical lines in the piece like cords.

Sili weaving

Soumak weaving is very different. In this case, a third yarn, the design yarn is embroidered onto the piece to form the pattern. There are a few variations within this technique. Soumak weaving is almost as durable as knotted pile but much lighter. It is therefore very suitable for Yoruk sacks

Soumak technique

The history of piled or knotted rugs from Turkey is closely allied to the history of rugs in Persia. In fact one of the two commonly used knots in rug making is the Turkish knot, brought to Persia at the time of invasion.

Rugs from Turkey aroused great interest in Europe from the 15th century onwards. Many featured in paintings of the time, especially in the works of Hans Holbein. There are no surviving examples of rugs from this time so the paintings have become very important in research into the origins of tribal motifs. In the 16th century, the Ottoman regime was responsible for the commissioning grand "palace rugs". These are the finest of the Anatolian rugs.

Turkish rugs, Turkish carpets