13.07.2026 17:02
After the wheat harvest in Antalya, the empty fields have once again transformed into a colorful open-air workshop where thousands of hand-woven carpets are aired in the sun this year. Carpets that have been waiting in storage throughout the winter are cleansed of natural residues and left under the sun for days to regain their pastel colors. Carpet exporter Halil Börekçi stated that the specially treated root-dyed carpets can fetch prices ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 abroad.
Before the summer months arrive, the fields in the Döşemealtı district of Antalya are plowed.
DISINFECTED WITH NATURAL METHODS UNDER THE SUN
These lands, where wheat is grown in winter, transform into a riot of colors in summer with hand-woven carpets brought from different regions of Turkey. The carpets laid out in the fields are left under the sun at high temperatures, both disinfecting them with natural methods and restoring their original colors. These carpets, which contain no synthetic materials and are woven with organic dyes, are made ready for export after the sunbathing process.
CAN FETCH UP TO 5 THOUSAND DOLLARS
The carpets processed under the sun are sent to many parts of the world, especially the USA and European countries. Some antique carpets with collection value, dating back 50 to 300 years, can find buyers for up to 5 thousand dollars from collectors.
BROKE A RECORD IN CARPET EXPORTS
Halil Börekçi, who stated that he has been exporting carpets since 1969, said, "In 1989, I became third in Turkey by exporting 130 thousand square meters of carpets. In 2000, when the sector lost its former dynamism and exports decreased, I closed my business in Istanbul and came to Antalya. In those years, carpet production in Turkey had also seriously declined. Since then, to keep this profession alive, we are now doing carpet sunning in Antalya."
ORGANIC DYES ARE USED
Börekçi, stating that all carpets are made of organic wool, said, "They contain no chemical substances and are entirely colored with root dyes. In the root dye process, auxiliary natural substances we call 'indicators' are used. Benefits are derived from natural materials such as the sap of the spurge plant and walnut shells. Depending on the desired color, the appropriate dye is added, and the wools are dyed completely with natural methods. We keep our carpets under the sun for a long time. Thanks to the coolness of the night air and the resulting humidity, and the sun's heat during the day, they are cleansed of excess dye substances and pests."
“WE GIVE THEM LIFE AND EXPORT THEM”
Noting that carpets are in demand abroad, Halil Börekçi said, "We collect these carpets from all over Turkey, among the old carpets that people have used in their homes for years. Then, we perform various processes on them, give them new life, and export them. A carpet sold here for between 50 and 100 dollars can find buyers abroad at much higher values. Special pieces with collection value can fetch between 3 thousand and 5 thousand dollars. For this reason, natural root-dyed, hand-woven carpets attract great interest worldwide."