When purchasing a Turkish carpet, there are two very important decisions to make: the size of your carpet and the material you want it to be made of.
Often, it is not easy to simply spot the difference, however, most guides and salesmen are available to answer such questions. After you have shopped around and seen enough rugs, you will start to spot the differences in styles, thickness, and tassels.
All Turkish carpets are made using a double-knotting technique, which takes more time but also produces a stronger, more valued product. Turkish carpets have four different material methods, each of which produces a different product.
Wool rugs (Turkish kilims or flat-weaves) are designed by passing a solid color of yarn horizontally under vertical yarns. Flat-weaves are made by weaving through different colors to produce a flat surface. All flat-weave rugs are made of wool. Not only do kilims make for affordable souvenirs, but they also are some of the most traditional Turkish Oriental carpets.
Turkish kilim rugs feature geometric, bold designs and are very versatile. Kilims can be used as wall or door hangings, sofa covers, or throws.
Wool Knotted Rugs
Wool knotted rugs are made of wool from the inside out, include the knots. The thread is wrapped all the way around the two warps, pulled down, and cut to form the carpet. These carpets have more subtle designs because the use of pure wool makes the carpet less strong. Wool knotted rugs typically have geometric or tribal patterns and are often the cheapest option for Turkish carpets.
Wool-Cotton Rugs
Wool-and-cotton rugs are made with cotton in the inside to make the design stronger and sharper. Many of the rugs produced from cotton are considered to be more formal. The value of wool-and-cotton carpets is often found in the number of knots per square inch – 250 per square inch is considered good.
Silk Rugs
Pure silk Turkish rugs require work, patience, and incredible skill to produce. Silk is a natural thread from silk cocoons in which silkworms have spun to create one long thread, after this the silk is boiled and unrolled to create the thread.
Silk is very strong and resistant and can be twisted finely to create a beautiful look. Additionally, silk rugs do not collect dust and remove static electricity from your body.
Cotton Rugs
Pure cotton rugs are made of cotton from the inside out. The cotton used in these carpets is treated to look and feel like silk, giving you the fine look and feel you desire for a smaller price.
Often, you will find prices for “silk” Turkish carpets that are too good to be true. This may be because it is actually made of fine-treated pure cotton. However, if you are looking for a silk rug in a smaller budget, cotton rugs are an excellent alternative.
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