The Art of Carpet Weaving: How to Weave a Carpet?

The art of carpet weaving, which was founded by the Turks and started to be made in many parts of the world, is a reflective and inseparable part of Turkish culture. The Pazirik Carpet, the oldest known carpet in the world, was also found in a Turkish kurgan and was woven with a Turkish knot. Today, there are carpet weaving workshops in different regions and cities of Turkey from east to west, from north to south. While some of them are produced for local use, some are exported to western countries that are interested in eastern motifs. bench and machine carpets Besides being a necessity, it also acts as an accessory for living spaces with its stylish designs.

What Materials Are Required for Weaving a Carpet?

The carpet, which is indispensable for both decoration and a warm floor, is woven by hand by compressing the threads that form a connection around the warps with a tool called kirkit. Carpets made by hand For this you need a loom and woolen threads. Tense woolen threads are tied to this loom, which is formed by interlacing large poles, from top to bottom. These taut threads, called warps, form the skeleton of the carpet. The wand called varagele, parallel to the warp threads, leaves a space between the threads to facilitate the knotting work. The yarn passed between the warp yarns in which the weaving process is made is called weft. When the weft thread is passed and the knot row is completed, the knot row is compressed by pushing down with a compression comb called Kirkit. Carpet weaving takes place with this system. The motifs embroidered on it while weaving turn this process into an art. Each region reflects its culture and spirit with its unique motifs.

Where is Carpet and Rug Weaving Common in Turkey? 

Although it is common in Uşak, Bergama, Hereke, Ladik, Milas, Konya, Sivas, and Isparta, carpet weaving is done in many cities of Turkey. Since the 17th and 18th centuries, Kırşehir, Mucur, Kula, Ladik and Milas have come to the fore as famous carpet centers. In the middle of the 19th century, a carpet weaving factory was opened in Hereke and Ottoman palace carpets were started to be produced. This factory continued its production by joining Sümerbank in the Republican period. Carpet weaving branches were opened in Isparta, Diyarbakir and Bünyan with Sümerbank, and productions were made for export purposes. Isparta, Bünyan and Sivas tend towards commercial workshop carpets with mostly western patterns. Gödes, Kula, Bergama, Ayvacık, Ladik, Niğde, Döşemealtı and Milas carpets stand out with their local carpet types. Carpets woven by the people to meet their own needs can be found in Denizli-Çal, Kars, Ağrı, Erzurum, Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep, Sivas-Şarkışla, Beyşehir, Adıyaman-Pişnik, Kahta and Besni. Local or commercial weaving in almost all provinces of Turkey except the Black Sea region. carpet production continues to be done.

Machine Type Woven Carpet Making 

Carpet production, which keeps up with the new generation technologies, is also done with machines. Unlike handmade carpets, filling yarns such as jute, linen and cotton are used in machine-type carpets to keep them flatter. In addition, the loops consist of pieces of yarn that are compressed in the form of U and V between the weft yarns instead of knots. Machine type woven carpets, which continue their production in accordance with modern technology, are produced in designs compatible with the trends of the age. The most common of the machine-type carpets, which are divided into groups according to the fabric structure and the shapes of the loops, are the carpets called wilton. In wilton type carpets woven with bladed wires, with or without interrupted loops and dense carpets are produced. In machine-type carpet production, machines imitate the weaving methods of hand-made carpets and obtain the texture of these carpets in a shorter time and at less cost.

If you would like to get detailed information about handmade silk carpet production, "Silk Carpet WeavingYou can read our article.