• What is a Kilim?
• What is a Sumak
• What is a Carpet
• Maintaining a carpet daily: the vacuum
• How to clean a carpet in depth
• To revive the colour of a carpet
• Some tricks exist to revive the colours of your carpet
• To clean a carpet: disinfect
• What is a Kilim?

What is a Kilim

Kilim is a fabric without velour: nomads most often embroider on small looms. Originally it was from Anatolia and Iran. The word kilim comes from the Persian ” gelim “, ” flat-stitch wool carpet “, which people believe to have originated in Central Asia almost 10,000 years ago.

What is a Sumak

Soumak is embroidery on a kilim. Regions of Central Asia, eastern Turkey, Iran, and Turkmenistan, mainly the Caucasus are its origin. The word “sumak” comes from the city’s name where he was born, Sjemacha, in the Kuba province in the Caucasus. Nomadic women weave and embroider, initially in winter to combat the cold after the planting and harvesting season has passed.

What is a Carpet

Carpets are the oldest floor covering, its origin dates back to the same time as the first clothes. Sedentary women obtained it from knots mounted on a weft, this “velvet” on large looms. Much heavier than kilim and Soumak, it is more difficult to transport but adheres much better to soils. Nomadics use sheep’s wool and, more rarely, silk. They use cotton and hemp to make the structure of the carpet. “Oriental carpets” come from Iran, Turkey, the Caucasus, China, India and Pakistan.

Maintaining a carpet daily: the vacuum

Your carpet deserves special care. Also, twice a week, pass the vacuum in brushing mode because it better raises the bristles and is, therefore, more efficient. However, if you have an Eastern carpet, a Berber carpet, an ethnic or old carpet, avoid brushing mode and aspire smoothly. Also, be aware that if your carpet is new, it will fluff in the first few months. In this case, vacuum without using the brush. Otherwise, you may damage it.

Other very simple gestures will guarantee a beautiful appearance and a longer life:

To erase traces of furniture, use a hot steam iron that you position above the crushed hairs.

In addition, do not hesitate once or twice a year to change the direction of your carpet so that it wears out less quickly.

Conventional aspiration, although efficient, does not remove all dust. It is, therefore, necessary, once a year, to use an injection-extraction shampoo by mono-brush. It will overcome dust but also dirt.

How to clean a carpet in depth

In addition to the foams and other more or less efficient products found in business, there are many more natural recipes to clean a carpet.

The first solution consists of washing it with a sponge impregnated with soapy water (or a mixture of water and household alcohol). Rinse it then in vinegar water.

If your carpet is light, dilute a few drops of ammonia in soapy water and rub the carpet with a cloth soaked in this mixture. Wait a few moments while the mixture penetrates and rinse with a cloth impregnated with warm water. Finally, dab it with a dry cloth.

If your carpet is dark, dab it with mineral spirits (wear gloves and ventilate the room). Leave on for about 1h30 and rub with a dampened cloth—finally, vacuum.

To revive the colour of a carpet

Some tricks exist to revive the colours of your carpet:

Firstly, humidify your carpet with gas water, let dry and brush.

Secondly, apply to your carpet sawdust impregnated with a mixture of water and ammonia (1 / 10th). After penetration of the mixture, brush the carpet and vacuum it.

In winter, if the conditions are suitable, you can also apply hard snow to the carpet and rub energetically.

To clean a carpet: disinfection

Also, a safe method to disinfect your carpet is to sprinkle it with baking soda. Then, leave on for about fifteen minutes and vacuum.

If you want to buy Kilim, Sumak or Carpet from Turkey, please visit our Turkish Carpet&Kilim category.

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In Turkish, “Kilim” means weaving. The technique used to make kilims is the same as for tapestry. The design is embroidered flat on a loom, instead of being knotted, for a softer and lighter result. The method being artisanal, each carpet is unique.

The kilim is the most common and oldest of the weaving methods. It is also one of the simplest: Warp threads, i.e., those placed vertically and often made of cotton, accommodate the colored and horizontal weft threads, which pass over and under to create the patterns. The weft is mostly made of spun wool.

This particular method seems to originate in Anatolia: Vestiges of this art, dating back more than 5,000 years, have been found in the region. The nomadic tradition then developed throughout the Near and Middle East, as well as in Asia.

An art of patience

Kilims are not originally made for commercial purposes; they represent both the memory and the identity of the people who weave them. Indeed, each nomadic and semi-nomadic group has its own style. Depending on the region, the fibers are very colorful or soberer, the patterns sometimes worked, sometimes refined. The colors and the decorations, therefore, make it possible to determine the origin of each piece fairly precisely.

The techniques of spinning wool, weaving, and making vegetable, mineral, and animal dyes have remained the same since the creation of kilims. Women are responsible for the lengthy process.

The design of the kilim, by its manufacturing method, is more rudimentary and abstract than that of knotted stitch weavings. Because of the double weft, which gives it a tight weaving, the carpet is very resistant, but has little grip on hard floors: remember to place a non-slip thickness underneath.

Kilims today

The late Western craze for the kilim preserved it from possible commercial influences and allowed it to retain an absolute authenticity. Sheep wool and cotton are still used to make warp and weft threads. The appearance of the first chemical dyes at the end of the 19th century changed the tradition a little. However: the fibers were sometimes dyed with synthetic products, which withstood the test of time better.

A large weaving produced without chemical dyes is therefore called a kilim of collection. Indeed, the value of a kilim is not necessarily due to its age, but rather to the natural colors and the complexity of its geometric patterns. The kilims, new or older, give a unique and ethnic touch to any interior.

History of Turkish kilims from Bayat

The Oghuz Turks of western Turkey have maintained the tradition of weaving carpets and kilims, thousands of years old, with the support of the district governorate of Baya.

The Bayat carpet, made from sheep wool and madder root with traditional patterns, reflects the richness of Anatolian culture.

The special herbs for the carpet are collected in the mountains and boiled with simple ropes in the same container to obtain the natural color. Later, the single strings are dried on a hanger. These ropes are used to make traditional handmade carpets. Kilim weaving is the primary source of life for the inhabitants of the Bayat district.

Ahmet Nuri Demir, deputy governor of the Bayat district, says that kilim weaving was a tradition for all Turkish tribes, but that it had been developed mainly in the Bayat tribe.  

“The woolen threads are transformed into craft carpets in the hands of the women of Bayat. The most important characteristic of Bayat kilims is that they last a long time. They are challenging to weave. We only have 6-7 weavers at the moment. We only have one madder root painter. We are trying to increase these numbers.” he told.

Demir also adds that the patterns on the rugs reflect the emotions of the women who made the kilims.

If you wish to buy Carpets and Kilims from Turkey, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail at  [email protected] or to call us at +90 532 361 5149. We can help you to get in direct contact with producers or provide you everything that you need.

The post The Millennial Art Of Kilim Weaving appeared first on Buyfromturkey.

As a fashion accessory, carpets are available in several families: oriental carpets, classic carpets, Kilim carpets, etc. Moreover, some tapestries are also classified in the carpet category because their beauty and fineness can be close to that of a fine silk carpet… Let’s discover together the history of the oriental carpet.

Summary

• History
• The ancestral history of the carpet
• Origin of the oriental carpet
• The different types of carpets
• Oriental carpets
• Classic rugs
• Kilim rugs
• The evolution of the carpet in the tapestry
• Anecdotes
• The legend of the magic carpet
• The origin of the red carpet
• Turkish carpet

History

The ancestral history of the carpet

Today, carpets and tapestries are fashion accessories that embellish floors and walls. It can be installed throughout the house, regardless of the color and style of the room. The carpet is a real ornament. It dresses, decorates, and adorns a place like no other accessory can.

Do you know the origin of the carpet, from its birth to the present day? And the different families of carpets that exist in the carpet world? How has it changed over time?

Origin of the oriental carpet

The oldest carpets listed is dated from the 5th century BC. They originate from the steppes of China or Iran. It is rather difficult to identify the region precisely. Scientists agree, however, that the art of knotting handmade carpets has developed in Central Asia. Nomadic people needed protection from the winter cold, but more practical than sheep’s fur. These protections had to be mobile, easy to transport and create, but also resistant.

The looms are then set up in temporary homes. They were made of two pieces of wood, firmly installed in the ground for better stability – so they are horizontal. Between the pieces of wood, the weavers install the chain. Even today, looms are still installed horizontally but are foldable and easily transportable. At the time, handmade carpets were made from sheep’s wool and goat’s wool.

In 1947 archaeologists unearthed a tomb in Eastern Siberia, in the Altai Mountains, on the Mongolian border. This carpet is decorated with deer and horsemen. It consists of around 360,000 knots per square meter. This extraordinary handmade carpet is currently on display at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Since that time, carpet production has never stopped. The carpet market offers products of various quality, from the low-end (carpet made by machines with a low number of knots per square meter) to the high-end (handmade carpet made by weavers and weavers according to ancestral rites ).

The different types of carpets

Many types of carpet can be classified according to several criteria: origin, materials, color, etc.

Oriental carpets: these carpets are the most beautiful and the most intricate. Hand-knotted, they come from different regions such as Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and even Uzbekistan. These carpets are precious and the price can go up quickly. Each carpet is unique, as much in the patterns as in the colors. The difference between an oriental carpet and a classic rug is in the number of knots per square meter. You only need to spread the strands to see the visible gap. The skill of manual weaving tends to disappear despite ancestral art.

Classic rugs: mainly made of wool or polypropylene, these rugs are made on machines and not by hand. They imitate Oriental rugs, which are handcrafted by weavers. Prices range from cheap rug to costly rug. Machine-made carpets have a fixing thread placed between the warp threads and the weft. The purpose of this thread is to mask the absence of real knots. This phenomenon is visible on the back of the carpet.

Kilim rugs: this type of rug is woven by hand, flat, wool, or cotton. We are talking about woven rugs. This technique is older than that of the knotted carpet. Kilim rugs are made up of interwoven warp and weft threads. These interlacing form patterns and designs. We are talking about woven rugs. The most used colors are blue, ecru and brick red. The patterns shown are often geometric and repetitive. They are produced in Iran, Turkey, China and India.

The evolution of the carpet in the tapestry

Initially used on the ground as protection against the cold, the carpet moves and adorns the tents of nomads. Carpets become tapestries when placed on the canvas of tents.

Tapestry weaving techniques are not very different from carpet weaving methods. However, the art of tapestry has existed since antiquity. Traces of tapestries can be found in ancient Greece, imperial China, ancient Egypt and even pre-Columbian civilizations.

Anecdotes

The legend of the magic carpet

The flying carpet or magic carpet is a legend. In fairy tales, it is used as a means of transport.

It is found in Russian folklore, but also Persian and Arabic mythology. The flying carpet is found in the tales of a Thousand and One Nights: King Solomon had a flying carpet that he then gave to the Queen of Sheba.

The flying carpet is also evoked in tales such as Aladdin. Of course, the levitation of an object remains in the realm of magic.

The origin of the red carpet

You may be wondering why the ceremonial carpet, the precious carpet of stars, is red?

In reality, there is a symbolism of colors, and it also applies to carpets. Each color has its meaning. The red carpet is used for people considered remarkable and honorable. Red has a positive connotation in our culture and elsewhere. In Asia, red is a symbol of happiness. That’s why this color is so present (signs, packaging, advertising, etc.).

Legend has it that an animal (a nian) devoured many people every year when the spring season came. Yet this animal was afraid of red. Those who wore red in their clothing, for example, were not eaten. They were called the lucky ones. Since then, the Chinese have got into the habit of decorating their houses in red during the Chinese New Year to bring good luck and chase away problems and evil spirits.

Red is an ambivalent color; it is the color of luck, but also that of blood. Its positive aspect represents the glow of the Glory of God. It embodies life, health, joy, and eternity.

The red carpet immortalizes the people who walk on it. Red color honors the presence of the powerful: heads of state, actors and actresses, etc. They represent an ideal, a fantasy.

Turkish Carpet

Turkish carpets are very common nowadays. The quality of Turkish carpets is undeniable. Colorful and lively tones are characteristic of these carpets.

Turkish carpets or Anatolian carpets are carpets made in Turkey. The oldest handmade Turkish carpets date from the 13th century. They were discovered in a city still very active in the production of carpets: Konya. Turkish carpets are comparable to Persian carpets. Their particularity lies in the type of knot used for the manufacture of carpets: the Turkish knot or Ghiordès knot (or Turkbaff). They are therefore thicker, made of wool, cotton and silk.

If you wish to buy Carpets and Kilims from Turkey, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail at  [email protected] or to call us at +90 532 361 5149. We can help you to get in direct contact with producers or provide you everything that you need.

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