The Influence of Islam and Imperialism
The Turkish and Persian interactions that have taken place throughout history have had a great influence on the craftsmanship of both Persian and Turkish rugs. When Persia was under the rule of the Seljuk Turks between 1037 and 1194, the Turkish knot was introduced to Persian rug weavers and adapted into their style/craft – as was the Persian knot into Turkish rugs; they are both still used to this day, as they had exposure to different styles through trade.
Not only do the knot styles of Persian and Turkish rugs draw inspiration from one another, their designs do as well. Due to constant interactions between Turks and Muslim countries, including Persia/Iran, a significant number of Turks have adopted Islam as their religion, mostly in Seljuk times. Muslim artists typically stray away from depicting faces and images of humans and animals in their rugs (religious reasons); they stick to geometric or abstract patterns. In the Turkish town of Oushak, famous for its rugs (influenced by contact with Persia in ancient times) animal and human patterns are noticeably absent. This is due to the cultural and religious diffusion between Muslims, specifically Persians, and Turks.
Cyrus the great brought the art of rug-weaving to the regions we associate with Turkey and Iran in the 6th century, so they had similar beginnings. However, the passage of time, dissolution and formation of many empires, and innovation allowed the art to evolve and distinguish itself into two forms: Persian rugs and Turkish rugs. In this period, a time before Islam was introduced to Persia and Turkey (7th and 11th century respectively) human and animal figures were depicted; however, the introduction of Islam to Persia and Turkey (due to imperialistic conditions such as the change of empires and boundaries that cause cultural and religious diffusion) resulted in the figurative death of such designs.
Intermingling between the two groups, specifically in the Seljuk period, allowed for the sharing of ideas and rug-weaving technique; elements of one another's style was adopted by the separate groups - Oushak is a great example of this as is the change in Turkish designs succeeding the rise of Islam to dominance in Turkish territories.
As a consequence of their shared origins and continual cultural interaction through trade and the imperialism that characterized the Middle East in these times, both Turkish and Persian rugs utilize wool, cotton, and silk as their main materials, and they share similar knotting techniques as well as designs.
Not only do the knot styles of Persian and Turkish rugs draw inspiration from one another, their designs do as well. Due to constant interactions between Turks and Muslim countries, including Persia/Iran, a significant number of Turks have adopted Islam as their religion, mostly in Seljuk times. Muslim artists typically stray away from depicting faces and images of humans and animals in their rugs (religious reasons); they stick to geometric or abstract patterns. In the Turkish town of Oushak, famous for its rugs (influenced by contact with Persia in ancient times) animal and human patterns are noticeably absent. This is due to the cultural and religious diffusion between Muslims, specifically Persians, and Turks.
Cyrus the great brought the art of rug-weaving to the regions we associate with Turkey and Iran in the 6th century, so they had similar beginnings. However, the passage of time, dissolution and formation of many empires, and innovation allowed the art to evolve and distinguish itself into two forms: Persian rugs and Turkish rugs. In this period, a time before Islam was introduced to Persia and Turkey (7th and 11th century respectively) human and animal figures were depicted; however, the introduction of Islam to Persia and Turkey (due to imperialistic conditions such as the change of empires and boundaries that cause cultural and religious diffusion) resulted in the figurative death of such designs.
Intermingling between the two groups, specifically in the Seljuk period, allowed for the sharing of ideas and rug-weaving technique; elements of one another's style was adopted by the separate groups - Oushak is a great example of this as is the change in Turkish designs succeeding the rise of Islam to dominance in Turkish territories.
As a consequence of their shared origins and continual cultural interaction through trade and the imperialism that characterized the Middle East in these times, both Turkish and Persian rugs utilize wool, cotton, and silk as their main materials, and they share similar knotting techniques as well as designs.
This image depicts trade routes on the Arabian peninsula; the trade route extending from Constantinople to Persia denotes trade between early Turks and Persians (approx. 6th century C.E.), for Constantinople, modern day Istanbul, was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century.
Farhat, Amtul, comp. "Arabia 570." The role of Merchants in Spreading Message of Islam. The Muslim Times, 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.
Farhat, Amtul, comp. "Arabia 570." The role of Merchants in Spreading Message of Islam. The Muslim Times, 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2014.