I’m rounding off sailing season 2013
with an overview of my textile finds in Turkey.
This is by no means an in-depth or comprehensive review of Turkish
Textiles, just a review of what I managed to find during my stay; a short time by any
standard:
 |
| Carpets on show in Goreme |
Carpets & Kilims. Now people write books about carpets and as I
am no authority, all I’m prepared to say is that Turkish carpets are
stunning. Do yourself a favour and visit
Ruth (Tribal Collections in Goreme) for a run down on carpet “essentials”
without any hassle. If you can keep your
eyes off the merchandise during the presentation, you will learn heaps. Otherwise, if you’re just window shopping, you
will have to sit on your hands until renovations of the Islamic Arts Museum in
Istanbul are done. And that could take a
while. (I’ve just discovered that a new Carpet Museum has opened in Istanbul –
very near the Hagia Sophia, so that may well be worth sussing out if you’re a carpet
tragic.)
Costumes & Slippers. The Hall of the Campaign Paiges in Topkapi
Palace is the place to see (but not photograph, understandably) stunning
Imperial costumes. Fabulous silk and
velvet designs, heavy with silver or gold threads, were woven on looms by
master craftsmen. Gorgeous leather
slippers accompanied many outfits.
Thankfully for us, the garments were owned by the state and carefully
stored with the passing of each sultan.
 |
| Garment example in Bursa Ethnographic Museum |
Detail on modern textile trends and
artisans will have to wait for another year.
My hands were full just taking in the extent of the history in this
amazing country and fiddling on the edges with a bit of textile research.
 |
| Costume seen in Bursa's Bazaar |
Next Post: Traditional Turkish Textiles
