Main Page



Although no one knows precisely when and where the technique of weaving first started, There is no doubt that the weaving art, in general, started in Central Asia. A popular explosion coursed the inhabitants of that area to migrate to the western parts of Asia in order to find more prosperous land. These migrating tribes were called yoruks or nomadic tribes. During their migrations, these nomads, who were exposed to severe weather conditions, learned to use goat hair in the making of their tents. Goat hair is longer and much stiffer than sheep is wool. The flatweave technique was used in the making of nomadic tents.

Just as with a little girl's braided ponytail where strands of the shorter and stiffer hair stick out, the goat hair sticks out of the woven fabric, gets wet, drops and partially cover the holes in the flatweave, thus making tent almost waterproof. Later on, these nomadic people felt the need to isolate themselves from the humidity present in the earthen floors of their tents. They then applied the very same techniques of flatweave to the making of floor coverings and called them "Kilims". Since this was the area of paganism, most flatweave designs reflected stylized depictions of the worshipped symbols.

8129