EARLY HANDMADE CARPETS
Where the first hand-knotted rug was woven is still under discussion. While Central Asian tribes are commonly thought to have been the first carpet weavers, spreading their techniques during their migration to the Middle East, opposing theories suggest that traders introduced the rugs of professional Anatolian or Persian weavers to the rest of the world. Nations and ethnic groups claiming to have knotted the first pile rug have presented more evidence than science has been able to find...
THE PAZYRYK CARPET
There is still one point where all the contrasting theories above meet: they support their ideas with the same evidence. The Pazyryk Carpet, dating from the 5th-4th century BC, was excavated by Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko in 1949 at the Pazyryk burial site in Siberia.
It is still known as the oldest hand-knotted carpet ever found, but not the earliest woven, because of its advanced workmanship. This well-preserved wool carpet measures 183x200 cm and has 6x6 double knots per square centimeter. Its center is filled with repeating square ornaments that appear to carry a strong symbolic meaning. The outer wide border is filled with horsemen and the inner wide border with elk-like figures.
What these symbols indicate about the carpet's origin is beyond the scope of this article, but the Pazyryk Carpet is not only of academic value; it is also a beautiful work of art. It is displayed at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
FOSTAT FRAGMENTS
Unfortunately, there is a long gap between the Pazyryk Carpet and the next generation discovered. The fragments found at the ancient city of Fostat, near Cairo, Egypt, are estimated to have been woven between the 7th and 13th centuries. The earlier examples are believed to have been imported from Bukhara, while the later ones resemble Anatolian Seljuk carpets. The Fostat fragments are displayed at the Islamic Museum of Cairo along with many other Ottoman and North African carpets and early flatweaves.
ANATOLIAN SELJUK CARPETS
A group of carpets woven for the Alaaddin Mosque in Konya, the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Dynasty from the 11th to the 13th century, remained outside public attention until F. R. Martin pointed out their importance.
Although they survive only in fragmented condition, these carpets still preserve the shine of their wool and vivid colors; light-blue patterns stand out clearly against navy backgrounds. They feature repeating simple geometric patterns inspired by Middle Eastern and Islamic decoration, surrounded by borders filled with so-called Kufic script.
The Seljuk carpets are displayed at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum in Istanbul along with a rich collection of Ottoman and Persian carpets.
