Kervan Carpet & Kilim

Ellerin Türküsü - Taşkale Halıları 1

Taskale Halılari 1 - Kanal B Ellerin Turkusu Programi

Taskale Carpets

Yapım: Ayse Oksuz Kanal B
Kamera: Namık Uğur
Kurgu : Özlem Türkmen
Hazırlayan-Sunan : Ayşe Öksüz

Carpet weaving is one of the most ancient crafts in Turkey, and for centuries, women have played a pivotal role in their creation.
Historically, the Turks were among the earliest carpet weavers.
Marco Polo notes in his travel diaries that Konya, the Seljuk capital, was the center of carpet production
in the 13th century.
Carpets and kilims, rugs without a knotted pile, have been used by nomadic tribes as floor coverings in their tents.
They provided comfort, warmth as well as decor.
Village women have woven carpets for family use. A daughter had a greater chance of marrying if she was a skilled weaver and would offer carpets as part of her
dowry to her future husband. She would take great care in the dyeing and hand-spinning of wool and in the selection of designs and motifs, some of which were related to her daily life and tribal culture.
Women of the Taskale (Karaman) weaving carpets. Carpets are different from kilims because they are knotted rather than flat woven.
They can be made from wool and usually silk. Notice that the weavers use a pattern for the rug design.
They must follow every intricate detail, leaving them no room for error.

Since the 19th century, there has been a tremendous demand for Turkish carpets and kilims. This development was responsible for the proliferation of carpet companies. Today, about 95% of women employed in this industry work for these firms. Some work in their homes while others labor in company workshops.
Women working outside the home will spend an average of twelve hours per day in the summer months, from sunrise to sunset and about 8-10 hours daily during the winter. Those working in the home alternate their weaving with their domestic chores. Weaving is done primarily when there is natural light. Women are not paid an hourly wage, but rather for the completed carpet or kilim. There are many criteria used to determine the amount she will receive such as the intricacy of the design, quality of the materials used, and if it is a carpet, the number of knots per square centimeter.
In general, women remain anonymous creators of these extraordinary carpets. Some attribute this to gender. Another reason is that many people are involved in the production of these carpets such as dyeing and hand-spinning fibers, particularly under the workshop model. Finally carpet production is considered more of a cultural tradition rather than art. Carpets and kilims are an integral part of everyday life in Turkey.