Motifs on Carpets

     At first, the carpet looks like a square, yet the small part in the middle, and the vertical borders which have been woven more widely than the horizontal borders, make it rectangular, and like a chess or draughts board, it has been divided into 4 squares in width and 6 squares in length, totally 24 squares. In each square a cross, reminding a star, which is geometrical and perhaps symbolic, is seen.

     In the outer border, which is the widest of five borders, there are 28 horses. And in the narrower border there are 24 deer.

    According to some authorities the horses are depicted on either dark copper red or rust red background as if their tails are tied to each other’s. You can come across this motif on most of the Anatolian Carpets. Similarly, in order to stress the muscles or specific organs some figures like spots and commas are seen on the bodies of deer.

Star

     There are symbols similar to crosses or cross lines in the squares in the middle part. It is suggested that they are star motifs. Yet, when we have a look at the examples of art in Egypt, Mezopotamia, India, China, where the first known civilizations emerged, we get the impression that these symbols are the primitive form of water-lily or geometrical sun figures. In just the same way the Hermitage Museum concludes that this symbol is a water-lily. In some of the articles it is claimed that the 8-part figure consisting of a 4-part cross and another 4-part cross like figure symbolizes the four earth and four sky. This idea reminds us the concept of “Tört Blung” of the old Turkish Tribes meaning “four edges”.

Deer

     This figure is one of the most well-known and commonly used motifs in nomadic art of Central Anatolia. The deer symbolizing the earth and sky was believed to carry the spirits to the other world. Fallow deer symbolizes the spirits of Turkish ancestors. They take prosperity from God. For that reason they were symbolized with a horn sign on the seal of Central Anatolian people. Chamois were depicted as ram and billy-goat horn on the Hun Turks artefacts found in Pazırık Tumulus.