CARPETS AND KİLİMS
Turkish hand woven carpets and flat weaves which are admired worldwide are
the most accessible and popular sale items in Turkey. Turkish people have been
most effective in the origin and expanse of this art and they still hold a
prominent place today. Knotted rugs and flat weaves which are woven throughout
Anatolia and coastal regions are true expressions of the people of Turkey. Tied
to local tradition and full of religious meaning, Anatolian rugs are
distinguished by their faithfulness to old layouts and ancient design based on
the combination or repetition of simple or complex geometric figures. Even
floral elements are rendered in extremely stylised forms. Human and animal
figures are excluded in obedience to the orthodox rules of the Sunnite Muslims.
The colours are always used in the strongest tonalities creating a sharp
contrast. The predominant colours on the Turkish rugs are red, yellow, blue and
warm shades in general. One should also mention that Anatolian weaver are now
producing traditional designs in much softer shades. All Anatolian rugs are made
using the double or symmetrical knots (Ghiordes knot).
JEWELLERY
Jewellery is what Turks are famed for in their history. This long jewellery
making tradition is still alive and can match the creative artistry and skills
of the jewellers from all over the world. Due to cheap labour, jewellery is much
more reasonable than elsewhere , which makes Turkey a right place to purchase
hand made jewellery. Turkish jewellers continue to create exquisitely designed
modern and classical jewellery
LEATHER
Leather is generally superb and superior to those of the established European
and Asian producers. The secret of the Turkish success in the international
market is mainly due to the use of skins of young animals which make garments
much lighter than usual, plus the up-to-the-minute styling alongside creative
use of classical designs to suit all tastes.
CERAMIC AND TILES
Turkey has a long history in ceramic making. Seljuk Turks who combined their
own designs and techniques with those of the past cultures produced some of the
finest works the world had ever seen. During the Ottoman centuries Iznik then Kutahya
became great centres of this art. Many of the present workshops in Kutahya were
built during the first years of the republic onwards and so this magnificent art
was once again revived.
