Useful tips on carpets

A carpet is one of the most significant home furnishings. Buying a carpet is not a decision to be taken lightly as they do not come cheap and are something you will live with for years to come. The carpet merchant will most likely provide you with information, but it helps to have a bit of knowledge as a guideline to make sure that you agree with what you are told. Knowing things such as what the carpet is made of, basic characteristics, varieties, care, techniques, designs, the regions where they are made, age and how to bargain are your guarantee to taking your carpet home feeling certain that you have done the right thing. So, come with us on a magic carpet ride!

Turkish carpets

The earliest known knotted woven examples were uncovered in southern Siberia at a site called Pazırık in the Altay Mts. and date back about 2,500 years. As for Anatolia, there are some surviving examples of Seljuk carpets dating back to the 13th century. They were produced in centers such as Konya, Kayseri and Sivas with principal colors as blue, red, yellow, green and white with stylized vegetation and geometric designs. Today, one can see a depiction of these Anatolian carpets, which were exported to Italy, in a fresco in the Arena Chapel in Padua by Giotto (1266-1337). Classic Ottoman Usak carpets had become quite the fashion by the 16th century. These were woolen carpets made with Gördes knots and designed by imperial decorators. Later on, the Hereke carpet period began with state incentives.

1001 types of carpet

There are four types of Turkish carpet: "wool-on-wool" (100% wool); "wool-on-cotton," in which the wefts and plaits are cotton and the knots are wool; "all silk" (100% silk); and finally "floss silks," which are those with cotton wefts and plaits with mercerized knots over them. Tourists are attracted to their sheen and mistake the cotton for silk. Want to know the difference between Turkish and Persian rugs? The former is made with double knots called "Gördes" which maintain their shape much better than the latter, which are made with single knots called "sine." There are weaving techniques called "kilim," "halı," "sumak," and "cicim" all of which have a unique appearance and beauty. For instance, a sumak is a kilim with an extra needlework design worked into it using the wrapping technique. Moreover, there are "Suzani" carpets, which have been imported from various Central Asian countries in recent years.

Hereke finery

Silk carpets are divided into two styles, those made in Kayseri and those made in Hereke. The latter is woven with 100 knots per square centimeter. It has the highest number of knots per square centimeter of any material. Herekes are the ultimate luxury. Actually, Herekes start from 100 (10 x 10) double knots and go up to 25 x 25. A 47 cm. carpet with 256 knots per square centimeter has 1,200,000 knots and takes more than a year to make. A one meter-square carpet has more than twice as many knots. The price of a 25 x 25 Hereke carpet of more than one square meter is no less than $30,000, simply because it takes a young lady 3-4 years to make. Also, the difference between Chinese silk and Turkish silk is that the latter does not lose its shape when washed.

Why an old carpet

The reason why old carpets are so valued even if they are worn-out and pricey is because they incorporate hand-spun yarn and natural dyes. Some carpets are still produced in this manner: price depends on the quality of the materials and if old techniques were used. Not all shops sell old carpets as repairs are pricey and one has to constantly wander about Anatolia to maintain an ample supply.

Usak carpets are still the fashion

You will not encounter Usaks in all shops as they take up a lot of space. Their knots are generally large and have no relation to those found with Herekes. As they are quite decorative, Usak carpets have been in fashion for the past 10-15 years. Some carpet makers even copy designs of old Usak carpets and sell the copies for $500-600 per square meter.

The finer points of carpet shopping

Here are four points which make the difference in whether you pay too much or you get a fair deal on your carpet: 1) Quality, that is, the number of knots 2) Quality of the wool (hand- or machine-spun) 3) Natural or synthetic dyes 4) Age. Moreover, carpets over a certain age must receive approval from a museum and are not to be carried out of the country, but instead are mailed to the buyer.

How should a carpet be cared for

This is a crucial point: do not wipe down a handmade carpet with a wet rag, but have it washed at a specialist instead. If your home has proper ventilation, this eliminates a potential moth problem and keeps your carpet in an airy environment.