The Turkish carpet can be one of the most sought after household items in the world. Ever since the 11th century the Anatolian carpet has remained the premier carpet. However, before this time existed the woven rug dominated the scene, not the knotted rug which became famous later.
The woven rug played a pivotal role in Islamic culture as is was often used for prayers. This floor rug was called the Kilim and was produced before the knotted rugs were created. The oldest record of such a Kilim was 7000 BC. These floor rugs are traditionally hand-made by women in the Anatolian region. To this day they are still made and used.
The knotted carpet rug did not appear until the 11th century with the emergence of the Seljuk’s whom controlled a fair amount of modern day Anatolia during the 11th century. These carpets are considered to be geometric and stylized with motifs. In the 14th century animal figures began to emerge in Turkish rugs while in the 16th century the medallion motif of the Ottoman territories began to appear. Two major types of rugs appeared out of this era, the Usak rug (using the medallion motif) and the Ottoman court rug (using a variety of animals and other natural symbols).
As time marched on the first Turkish weaving shop was established in 1843 in a small coastal town called Hereke approximately 38 miles outside of Istanbul. All of the carpets were hand-woven and were either made for Ottoman palaces or given as gifts to visiting statesmen. The Hereke carpets were admired for their artwork and were even considered to be European Paintings. Now, any carpet that is referred to as an “Hereke Carpet” is a high quality carpet woven using similar techniques. If you own a “Herke” you may have one of the best in the world.
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