During the
time of the Seljuk Empire and before they came to Anatolia, Turks reigned
over Iran (Persia) and Caucasus for several centuries. The Art of weaving
was introduced to Anatolia by the Seljuk's toward the end of the 11th and
the beginning of the 12th centuries when Seljuk sovereignty was at its
strongest. In addition to numerous carpet fragments, which are known to be
of Seljuk origin. The technical aspects and vast variety of designs used
proves the resourcefulness and the splendour of Seljuk rug weaving. The
oldest surviving Seljuk carpets are dated from the 13th - 14th centuries.
Eight of these carpets were discovered in the Aladdin Mosque in Konya
(capital of Anatolian Seljuk's) in 1905 by Loytred, a member of the German
consulate staff, and were woven at some time between the years 1220 and
1250 at the apex of Seljuk's reign.
Of these 8
striking rugs, 3 are large complete rugs; 3 are large fragments from small
rugs, and 2 are fairly small fragments originating from large rugs.
Three more
carpet fragments from the Seljuk period were discovered in 1930 in the
Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir. Today, these rugs are displayed in the
Mevlana Museum in Konya and the Kier collection in London.
A third
group of carpet remnants were recovered in Fostad (old Cairo) in 1935 -
1936. These 7 rugs from Fostad were identified as having originated in
Anatolia in the 14th century.
The most
common design characteristics of the 18 rugs before mentioned are the
Kufic border, the eight pointed star, and the hooked (geometric) motif.
The Turkish
rug, which originated in Central Asia, preserved all of its
characteristics until the 14th century. After the Ottomans gained control
over the whole of Anatolia, changes began to appear in the composition of
the field, in the characteristics of the motifs, and in the sizes of the
still traditionally woven Turkish rugs.
During the
Ottoman reign, several Turkish tribes decided to settle down and built a
number of villages and small towns. Notably, the village of Hereke was
settled on the edge of the Marmara Sea some 60 kilometres east of
Istanbul.
The first
court carpet workshop was established in Hereke and began to weave carpets
of unusually large sizes to be used in decorating Ottoman palaces.
These
exceptionally fine rugs were also used to tie and retie relationships with
European countries in time of war and peace and so they were given as
gifts to kings and queens, as well as to key army commanders and
statesmen. Towards the end of the 14th century, these rugs, which were the
finest examples of eye and hand harmony, began to enter European homes,
churches, and castles thanks to intermediaries such as merchants Florance
and Genoa.
During the
14th and 16th centuries, Turkish rug designs appeared prominently in many
European artists' paintings, with the rugs so depicted being of Anatolian
origin. These paintings were subsequently named for the respective artist,
for example, Holbein, Lotto, Memling, Van Eyck, etc.
In the
beginning of the 16th century, every European prince owned a private
carpet collection, (Herman Haack, Echte Teppich - Eastern Rugs). In
Vienna, the people were allowed to own rugs after 1671. When the Turks
left Vienna, many Turkish rugs were left behind in their tents. This
allowed fine Turkish carpets to become known by the European populace.
A short time
thereafter, the Kings and queens of Europe began to open their castles and
palaces, as well as their residences, to visitation by their subjects.
This in turn, spurred European interest and thereby dramatically increased
the demand for hand-knotted Turkish carpets.
In the 19th
century, additional court workshops were opened in Istanbul in the
districts of Kumkapı, Topkapı, and Üsküdar. And in 1891, Sultan Abdulhamid
ll increased the number and sizes of the carpet workshops in Hereke, and
thus, the exquisite carpets woven in Hereke became more plentiful.
Throughout
their development - from Central Asia to the Caucasus region to the
Anatolian plains, steppes, and coastal areas, and through the Seljuk and
Ottoman eras Anatolian rugs have maintained the purity and characteristics
of their origin. Turkish court rugs were modified to Turkish standards and
requirements.
Thus,
Turkish rugs reached their deserved place in Europe. Rugs from Hereke,
Uşak, Bergama, Ghiordes, etc. became well known and kind increasing in
demand continuing to increase with time. Anatolian rugs are unbelievably
rich in fine rugs are woven in more than 750 villages and tribal (nomadic)
areas. Each of these rugs differs from each other by their particular
design, symbolism, and relative size: these characteristics, and thus, for
centuries they have kept same design, symbols, and beautiful shades of
colour.