The
hard-weaving double –knotted carpets are the invention of Turkish
tribes. The techniques used in handmade carpets were
brought to the
Mediterranean coast by the Seljuk's in the 12th century.
Marco Polo mentions
rich displays of carpets in palaces and mosques. The demand for carpets in
different periods dictated the pace of the development of carpet
weaving, but high quality handmade carpets have always found a ready
market.
Textile products are not resistant to destruction by nature.
The oldest
carpet known was discovered, frozen in ice,
by Russian archaeologists in
1984,and it is called the ‘Pazırık’ carpet. This carpet,
which measures
1.80m by 2m is dated to the 4th-1st centuries
B.C. and is on exhibit
in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg (Leningrad). The ‘Pazirik’ carpet is
tightly knotted, and therefore indicates that the art of carpet weaving
had emerged long before its production. Discovered in the mausoleum of
the leader of a migratory tribe, who lived in the region and during the
age of the Turkish Huns, the ‘Pazırık’carpet is an early and the sole
example exhibiting the Turkish double knot. Not much is known of the
progress of the art of knotted carpet weaving prior to the Seljuk
Turkish Empire (11th century A.D.)
Some of the pieces of carpets discovered in Turkmenistan,
and dating to
the 3rd-6th centuries A.D. ,are in Museums.
Development
of the Turkish art of carpet weaving since 12th century is known.
Besides
the carpets themselves, in Turkey and other countries,
it is possible to
see examples of Turkish carpets in the paintings of 15th and 16th
century European painters.
In general, the Seljuk carpets have geometric design. Starting in the
15th century, the Ottoman carpets were imported to Europe by Latin
traders, and thus elegant, durable and decorative carpets were used in
the western world for the first time.
The stylized animal figures and geometric designs used in the 14th
century and 15th centuries were replaced by stylized plant motifs in the
16th century. The 17th century is the age of Ottoman Imperial carpets
with designs of medallions and detailed plant motifs. Rooted
traditions ensured the progress of the art of carpet weaving even during
the difficult periods in the Ottoman Empire.
The silk carpets produced on the palace-subsidized looms of Hereke and
Kumkapi in the 19th century, are amazingly beautiful museum pieces.
After 1923, and Turkey becoming a Republic, the state subsidized the
production of carpets from time to time.
In regard to variety, quality and price, today’s Turkish handmade
carpets, produced in both private and State-subsidized workshops, along
with those produced in towns and villages, are durable and beautiful
handmade products popular all over the world.
For
the last century or more, handmade knotted carpets have been a subject of
research for experts and art historians. Great numbers of books and
journals have been published on the subject, showing that the making of
handmade carpets is an important art form. The spread of knowledge
through such publications has caused an increased demand for fine
carpets.