It can take nearly one year
to hand-weave a traditional Turkish carpet.
Rugs like these can cost as much as $4,000.
But now, an industry that relies heavily
on tourist dollars is shrinking.
Those in the business fear that a 1,000-year-old
tradition is now hanging by a thread.
At this cultural center in Ankara,
master weavers make Hereke carpets, named
after their place of origin.
Traditionally, Turkish carpets are handwoven by women.
They wind the warp around a loom
that keeps the threads taut.
Next, colorful thread is painstakingly woven
into the bed of warp.
They use an ancient tool called a kirkit
to hammer the knots and keep the carpet from falling apart.
It can take up to six months to complete
only 3 square feet, about the size of a hand towel.
Turkish carpets are usually made with wool or silk,
and they typically display
traditional motifs, animals, and plants.
While the process requires an eye for detail,
weavers are not aiming for perfection.
A finished silk carpet
from the women's center can cost as much as $4,000.
It's a luxury for many locals who've been grappling
with a recession for the last five years.
Many carpet businesses In Istanbul have folded.
Hasan Basri Semaje owns one of the most
famous carpet shops in the city.
His store is located in the Grand Bazaar,
one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world.
It has over 3,600 shops filled with Turkish delicacies,
local spices, and rows of carpets.
Hasan has been there for 43 years
and has seen the decline in customers
firsthand since the pandemic began.
Turkey's tourist base has also changed.
But the number of foreigners who visited
Turkey last year declined by more than 60%.
While tourists are no longer flocking to Turkey,
manufacturers are sending more and more carpets abroad.
Exports of handwoven rugs have increased from over
600 million to almost 2 billion in the last decade.
Even this women's workshop
in Ankara exports some of its custom carpets.
And while they're not making as many carpets these days,
they take great pride in each of their creations.