How To Identify Kurdish Prayer Rugs

First it is symbolized by the presence of a mihrab which is a semicircular niche in the mosque s walls which always indicates qibla or the direction of mecca s kaaba from the region.

How to identify kurdish prayer rugs.

An authentic muslim prayer mat is characterized by several things that distinguish it from ordinary mats. Searching and finding that one special rug that specific antique carpet that captures your heart is possible. Kurdish rugs are rugs woven by the kurdish people in the middle east predominantly the larger kurdistan region including the eastern part of turkey near the taurus mountains northern iraq southernmost caucasus armenia and north western iran. Shopping for fine antique carpets or decorative rugs online should be easy.

A prayer rug is characterized by a niche at one end representing the mihrab in every mosque a directional point to direct the worshipper towards mecca. The holy village of qum qom in southern iran is noted for their silk rugs with many used for daily prayers because of their lightness of weight and portability. This colorful kurdish prayer rug was woven in eastern anatolia north of the syrian border region. Quite often in village prayer rugs we come across pictures of male figures and horses confirming the fact that religious bans on the depiction of living beings were largely ignored by the people even when making objects for religious worship.

The mihrab pattern in turkish carpets is often modified and may consist of a single double or vertically or horizontally multiplied niche. Take a closer look at the part where the fringe is attached to the body of the rug. Prayer rugs are often decorated with religious symbols that serve the worshiper as aids to memory. In machine made rugs the fringe is not created during the manufacturing process.

The rug was made with exceptionally lush soft wool in keeping with the best of these kurdish pieces which are sometimes known as ïyoruk í the mihrab niche was dyed rose pink with either imported cochineal or a local east anatolian beetle known as araarat kermes. It is in fact rather sewn onto the rug after the rug is completed. Renowned for its finely woven prayer kilims rugs often decorated with tree of life obruk also produces cicims with the geometric forms medallions banded designs and interconnecting diamonds of turkish kilim rug. Searching and shopping for fine antique rugs online.

Identify a true silk rug by. Often caucasian rugs also show stylized hands on both sides of the mihrab to indicate where the hands are placed during prayer. This is a no brainer for internet savvy shoppers. Obruk color palette varies from the bright to dark with the dominance of reds blues yellows orange and white.

If you can see that is has been sewn to the rug then you know the rug is genuine. Shirvan prayer rug 1890. How to identify a muslim prayer mat.