2 days ago
Turkey's kaleidoscopic carpets draw summer tourists – DW – 08/16/2025
Image: Ozan Kose/AFP
Every year, from June to September, merchants bring their handwoven carpets to these harvested fields and spread them out to fade in the dazzling summer sun. The strong sunlight exposure softens the bright, natural colors of the new rugs and rids them of unwanted elements. Image: Ozan Kose/AFP
Spread out on the bare ground, the thousands of carpets create a kaleidoscopic patchwork on the outskirts of Antalya, a coastal city in southern Turkey. Image: Ozan Kose/AFP
Hasan Topkara is one of the merchants who washes the knotted wool carpets and rugs from across Turkey. Once dried, he trims the fringes and any stray strands before spreading them out in the sun. He told news agency AFP that the area used to see up to 60,000 carpets spread out in the sun, a spectacular sight. Image: Ozan Kose/AFP
Today, Topkara is one of the last to handle the carpets, with only around 15,000 spread out side by side on a 40-hectare (100-acre) area. Known as kilim, the flat, woven carpets and rugs are traditionally made from wool or cotton. Their origins lie in the Middle East, where they've played an essential role in culture and traditional crafts for thousands of years. Image: Ozan Kose/AFP
Around 50 workers monitor the carpets day and night, turning them regularly and keeping an eye on the weather. When it rains, an extra 100 people from the nearby villages rush out to help fold up the rugs and take them to safety. The entire process takes about 45 minutes. When the clouds part, they help bring everything back out. Image: Ozan Kose/AFP
As soon as the carpets fade to the desired shade, most are sent to Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, where they're often sold abroad. However, the carpet field has become a tourist attraction in its own right, especially since Turkish pop singer Mabel Matiz filmed a music video here in 2018. Image: Ozan Kose/AFP 08/16/2025 August 16, 2025
