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by Ishtar
Bayside, New York
August 18, 2001
As we entered the store and were introduced to the owner, our buddy went to get some apple tea for us. This means serious negotation time!
In the corner was a woman sitting beside her loom, making knots. When it comes to rugs, we are both not terribly knowledgeable, so we learned that rugs can be made from many materials, the most expensive being silk. Also, the labor is quite intensive, and for all intents and purposes, it's a woman's industry. They learn the craft very early on so that they can not only carry on the tradition, but become a profitable entity. School is not mandatory in Turkey after junior high school.
Wool rugs come next, and then cotton ones. Then there are mixtures. Red and royal blue are predominant colors in the rugs as they depict majesty. There are, however, other colors to be found and some modern designs as well.
The least expensive rug we saw was $1200, and I'd call it an area rug for a child's room. If you are going to buy a Turkish rug, and they are magnificent, don't do it from the shops. Go directly to the factories, as we did later on, and buy them there. This way, you are assured that some of the revenue is going to the woman who created it.
The man proceeded to explain to us the difference between single knots, double knots and what nots...just kidding. It was really getting tiring, as it had been a long day, and they are very, very persistent. You can tell them that you are not interested, or that you'll shop around and come back to them. They are used to this sort of response, so don't be shy. The kilims were much less interesting, although some had designs reminiscent of the American West.
It is not unusual for rug shops to also display pottery. Hereagain, you are probably going to pay a higher price in Sultanahmet than in say, Iznik, or a craft mall, which Chuck and I found on Isteklal Street. But do shop around and compare prices. Sometimes within the same block of stores, there could a sufficient variation in the price to make it worthwhile. If you buy more than one item, do expect the price to go down by at least 20% more on both items.
From journal The Wait for Turkey - Finally!