3 days & we’ve already bought a rug

Unless you buy on the street (not recommended), looking at carpets for possible purchase in Turkey is a cultural experience all in itself. There are usually three distinct phases: you are offered a place to sit down and a beverage, usually apple tea which is akin to hot apple cider. You chat about ordinary topics. Only then are you shown the carpets. (From my perspective, you are educated about the carpets.) We’ve experienced two showings: one at a cooperative in Istanbul partially funded by the World Bank, and one in the shop hotel in Selcuk (recommended by other travelers). Here are a few tidbits:

The first known weaving has been traced back to Turkey from the 5th century B.C. Turkish carpets are meant to be walked on, not displayed. Turkey is the only nation with double-knotted rugs. The knots are tied in such a way that the more you walk on the carpet, the tighter the knots get. The value of a carpet is determined by two things: the quality of the wool and the quality of the dyes. My sister Sharon will appreciate this next part: the finest wool comes from lambs’ chin and chest! (I thought to myself – Yea, right. How much wool could be there? As we raised sheep on our farm, I knew that the volume of wool is on the back. But several oral and written sources have now repeated this.) The wool is finer diameter from those areas.

What is our rug like? Well, as Jim would say, we couldn’t afford a new rug, so we bought a used one. And, in truth, we bought a rug that is certified as sixty years old. The owner of the shop in Selcuk goes on buying trips each winter and literally buys rugs off people’s floors. These are considered tribal rugs. Each region has their own unique dyes and designs. If a family stops weaving carpets, that family’s pattern becomes extinct. We really liked this guy – he had no pressure sales. I loved this line, though – “I beg your pardon, but you will die before this rug wears out. It will outlast your great grandchildren.” My picture didn’t turn out very well, so you’ll just have to come visit us to see this rug. It’ll be in the front hall of our home.