How to choose a rug in Turkey

Turkey is world famous for its handicraft workers and souvenirs. One of the major items of export of the country are carpets or rugs. How to choose a rug during a trip to Turkey - we'll give you some valuable advice.

Turkey and rugs are bounded together. It was customary since the days of Byzantium and Constantinople. The city, located next to the Bosphorus, was decorated with mansions and palaces of the nobility and emperors. There was no central heating, and fireplaces and stoves could not heat the building properly. So the empire bought large quantities of carpets in the eastern regions - Persia, Anatolia, Egypt... After the Turks captured Constantinople and the city was named Istanbul, the carpets still remained. On the contrary - Turkish nomads used carpets wherever possible, practically instead of furniture. They slept on the carpets, wrapped themselves in rugs, gave them as a dowry, measured the welfare of the family... A rug is still one of the most important subjects of the Turkish life to this day. We'll give you some advice on how to choose it.

District
When purchasing a rug, pay attention to the area where it was produced. Anatolian carpets are the most famous in the whole Turkey. Of course, there are even Persian rugs in Turkey - and very good ones - but we are talking about authentic Turkish products. Well, Anatolia. They were weaving rugs there from time immemorial, and there are a number of shops in Istanbul, where they sell only Anatolian rugs. So if you need a Turkish souvenir - take a carpet.

Haggling
Do not buy a carpet at the declared price. They always haggle over the price in Turkish carpet shops, and the initial price of product never matches the one on which you will get it. At the beginning of bargaining boldly name 10 percent of the price you were told. Finally you will agree on 30-40 percent.

Age
It may sound strange for a European, but the rugs are like wine - the older the better. Of course, we are talking about the real Turkish carpet. Therefore, many Turks even spread their carpets on the pedestrian streets, so passers could trample them. Quality carpets won't be damaged at all.

Ornament
There are several types of ornaments for carpets in Turkey, and they are quite diverse, but it is worth remembering their craft is full of Islamic traditions. Therefore, there are no images of people or animals (there are birds, but very rarely). But the geometric designs are very broad, and they are even taken as a model by Iranian weavers.