HEREKE PRAYING RUGS

Having great variety of designs and colours, Hereke Prayer rugs don't have a fixed and specific compositions. Greatest surviving collection of Hereke Prayer Rugs is kept in the Topkapi Palace and these 35 pieces were woven for the palace and market. These rugs in pure silk, in wool and wool and cotton combinations were woven with Gordes Knots or Hekim Knots. Having generally a mihrap (praying nich) and Coranic verses on them, Hereke Rugs offer Turkish, Iranian and Memluk compositions.

When Topkapi Seccades were first published, they were thought to be Safavid Rugs. Although some scholars see the designs of these carpets as Iranian designs modified with greatest talent, these very sophisticated patterns have Turkish origin taken from tile patterns, Seljuk architectural designs, painting designs and Korani pattern which originates from the book covers. They have also Safavid Rug patterns to a certain extent. This mixture of designs led scholars to a great confusion.

Although we can't say with certainty, Topkapi Rugs can be dated to 17th and 18th centuries. These rugs, produced as the palace production, continued till end of the Ottoman Dynasty.

These magnificent carpets were carefully studied by the Kumkapi masters who reused the Topkapi designs for their carpets. They also copied the use of the gold and silver threads.