Best souvenier from Turkey !

Origin of handmade rugs

The handmade carpet is a gift from the Turkish people to world civilization. The knotted rug, the earliest samples of which have been found in Central Asia where the Turks used to live, is an art form discovered, developed and presented to the world by the Turks.

Types of Turkish rugs

Wool-on-wool carpets, which are made of wool pile on a wool skeleton are the most traditional kind of Turkish carpet.Newer kinds of carpets, made of wool-on-cotton  and silk-on-silk, first appeared in the 19th century. The new materials allowed weavers to create more intricate floral and geometric patterns than traditional designs. A weaver can fit more knots onto a cotton skeleton than onto a wool one.

Unlike wool-on-wool carpets, density is important in assessing quality for wool-on-cotton and silk-on-silk carpets.

Rug shopping in Turkey


Good rug vs bad rug?

If you can see the same design on the back as on the front, that’s woven. Wool is the best; practically indestructible and sustainable. Hand-woven is the most valuable. If you see a canvas or burlap material on the back, that’s a tufted rug. Those are typically made in India and China, where they use a lot of glue and sometimes bad latex. It looks like a pile rug but may last only 5 or 10 years.

How much are they ?

Carpets can range in price from several hundred dollars to several thousand or more, depending on the age, size, quality, and uniqueness.

How do I take it home ?

By shipping.. Merchants will ship them home for you, though many tourists find it cheaper and more foolproof to carry them back (the carpets can be folded and tied tightly into a squarish bundle).Most big rug shops get a tax credit for shipping a rug overseas, so you shouldn’t have to pay for the shipping when you buy.

Rugs..a sign of status ?

Knowledge is power ! A handmade oriental rug is the ultimate travel trophy, but if you do not want to be ripped off, it helps to get some help from a professional. Let us help you.

Your guide Ali YALNIZ is a rug expert!

Ali Yalniz is a rug expert and writer-publisher of a carpet book that has already made 3 prints and sold more than 25000 copies in 3 years. If you are interested in rugs he will be happy to share his knowledge with you and also help you to buy a rug from Turkey.

He knows many wholesalers/reliable shops to take you.

Rug books written by Ali Yalnız
About Private Tours
About Booking and Cancelling