Bergama carpet

Bergama Carpet refers to handwoven floor coverings made in the town of Bergama in northwest Turkey.

Bergama carpets are of all-wool construction and have a knotting density of around 12 knots per cm². They are typically three to four meters square in size and originated from around the 14th to 15th century.

There are approximately eighty villages around Bergama that still weave carpets. The history of carpet weaving in Bergama dates back to the 11th century - when Turkish migration started to the area. Bergama carpets have almost always been woven with wool - an attestation to the pastoral life style of the Yörük clans populating the area at the time.

Knotting density of Bergama rugs is about 12 knots per square cm. Most carpets come in the size of 3 to 4 square metres (32 to 43 sq ft). Bergama carpets can be divided into these main groups:

- Yagcibedir,
- Kazdagi,
- Yuntdagi,
- Yuncu Karakecili, and
- Kozak

Although the history of carpet weaving in Bergama dates back to the 11th century, most surviving carpets do not age more than 200 years - mainly due to their wool content. The oldest surviving Bergama carpets can be found in mosques in and around Bergama, as well as the archaeological museum in Bergama.

Uşak carpet (Bergama)

There was a thriving carpet-making industry in Bergama and Ushak in the 10th / 16th century. The presence of particular motifs and a style based on geometric division, both of which are still found on carpets produced in Bergama today, suggests that the carpet was woven in Bergama rather than Ushak.[1] Today, this is sometimes called "Holbein’ carpet", as Turkish rugs were often portrayed in the Dutch painters portraits. Nearly all Turkish rugs claim this title.

Notes

  1. ↑ Discover Islamic Art – Virtual Museum

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