The production of the carpets, which will take at least 8 months to complete, has begun.

The weaving process of the Sivas carpet, which will take a full 8 months to complete, has begun with the aim of preserving and promoting traditional handicrafts by the Sivas Olgunlaşma Enstitüsü.

THE NUMBER OF LOOPS IS VERY HIGH AND FINE

Sivas has been known for centuries as one of the important centers of the art of weaving, and Sivas carpets stand out as one of the most valuable examples of traditional Turkish handicrafts. These carpets, woven with hand labor and elegant motifs, carry both a historical and aesthetic heritage into the present day. In the unique patterns of Sivas carpets, which are produced using completely hand-weaving techniques with natural wool threads and root dyes, symbols belonging to Anatolian culture, motifs inspired by nature, and traditional Turkish carpet motifs are prominent. The carpets are known for their durability and long-lasting structures, and thanks to the root dyes used, they maintain their beauty without losing their colors over the years. Tülay Dönmez, who works in the weaving workshop, stated, "The number of loops in the Sivas carpet is very high and very fine. This is the biggest feature of these carpets, which are made entirely of wool. To understand the quality of the carpets, one can turn them over and count the loops from the back."

THERE ARE EVEN ONES THAT TAKE A YEAR TO FINISH

Dönmez emphasized that the warps of the Sivas carpet are very fine, stating, "The warps and wefts are made of cotton thread. The weaving threads are entirely wool. The dyes are plant-based. The pile height is very fine. Sivas carpets are of two types: 50x50 and 60x60 quality. This means there are sixty pairs of warps in ten centimeters. If it is a 60x60 weave, there are 360,000 knots in one square meter. In a 50x50 weave, there are 250,000 knots. The number of loops is very high and very fine; this is the biggest feature of the Sivas carpet, which is entirely wool. The completion time varies according to the size. For example, a 6 square meter living room carpet takes about 10-12 months to finish," she said.

"IF THERE IS THE SMALLEST MISTAKE, IT SHOWS WHEN VIEWED FROM THE FRONT"

Stating that these carpets are special productions, Dönmez said, "As an institution, we have started to produce again. We are getting very good results. We have made progress. If there are no setbacks, we will complete our small-sized carpet in 8 months. Our other carpet is a living room carpet. We have just started, and its completion will take a year. Another feature that distinguishes the Sivas carpet from the Hereke carpet is that the Sivas carpet is made with 3 wefts, while the Hereke carpet is made with 2 wefts. To understand the quality of the carpets, one can turn them over and count the loops from the back. If there is the smallest mistake in the carpet, it shows itself when viewed from the front. Our institution has university graduates and master instructors trained from courses. We are also evaluating friends who really love and want to do this because this value needs to be preserved even after us," she concluded.