Carpets are so often associated with Turkey and Middle East. It is good however to make difference between Turkish carpets and other carpets, that are indeed produced elsewhere.
Turkish carpet (Kilim in Turkish language) is fabric manufactured on weavers loom, mostly with wool, through use of different weaving techniques. These carpets are made in wide region from Pakistan to Balcans. Carpets are used for decoration or religious rituals (in Turkish: secde-prostration). Turkish term KKilim originates from Persian term gelim, which means: roughly spread.
Carpet story begins in ancient times. Ottomans brought their carpet tradition from Middle East, from where they arrived to European region. Carpets were used for numerous purposes. They were spread over floor in the house, they were put over bed as covers, they were wall decorations, horse covers, and an expensive gift. They were even made for woman dowry for marriage. The more elaborately and intricately made, with more patters, they were more valuable, and presented better wedding fortune.
Turkish carpets differ from carpets made elsewhere because they have very precise, geometrical motifs. Larger carpets were made for floor covering, and smaller for praying and horse covering.
Most valuable Turkish carpets are those hand-made by Anatolian women, on the east of Turkey, or in the Asian part of the country.
As Turkish carpets were often made by nomad people, goat wool and sheep wool is the one that was used in weaving. In last fifty years, cotton has prevailed. Geometric patterns often present animals and plants in the region where they are made You will see tree leaves, water, wolves, and ever-present is an “evil eye”.
Old Turkish carpets were also hand-dyed. Natural products were used for this, like indigo to get blue color, pistachio leaves for green, cherries for red, eggplant or nut for black. You can be sure that carpet is original and handmade if you notice color imperfections.
Now, when you come to Turkey and decide to buy original carpet as a souvenir, the best choice one can make is to avoid shopping for carpet in Istanbul. You will most likely get there synthetic, industrially made carpet-not the real hand-made treasure. You want to travel in smaller towns, like for example Selcuk, just near Ephesus ruins. Selcuk is center of carpet manufacture and trade, and there you can be sure that you are buying the “real deal”-original, hand-made Turkish carpet.
Another part of original Turkish carpet experience is buying itself. When buying carpet in Turkey, you must engage in bargain process. It is an insult to accept first offered price. You are expected to have a detailed look on carpets in the offer and then to start bargaining and offering much less money then asked for. This is a whole process of offering and rejecting, discussing energetically, along drinking tea-as drinking tea in front of the shop (bazaar) is also mandatory part of shopping experience. Once you are satisfied with price (generally, some 30% than the first asked for), you can accept it and arrange handling of the carpet.
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