![- PHOTO TAKEN 29NOV05 - A woman weaves a kilim carpet as a way to contribute to the household income in a workshop in Hakkari province, the most remote southeast province in Turkey, November 29, 2005. [In the shadows of mountains bordering Iraq and Iran, Turkey's Hakkari province may one day be an outpost of the European Union. But for now, it feels cut off from the world. Picture taken November 29, 2005.] - RTXO1TP](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2015/08/RTXO1TP.jpg/RTXO1TP.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=_rpOlF8b)
An ancient legend tells of a nomadic Turk chief who stopped his horse in front of a tent where a recently made "kilim" — a woven tapestry rug — hung. He immediately asked for the father of the girl who made it. When the father appeared, the chief told him, “Let your daughter marry the man she loves.” The father said, “That is not possible because he is poor, just as we are.” The chief convinced the father with a reward, and added, “Tell your daughter go easy on the crimson color with green sections.” The legend is told to express respect for love, but also that the designs of a kilim can speak louder than thousands of words.
Traditionally, kilims were made for home use in Anatolia, from prayer rugs to precious dowry items. Kilim weaving dates back to the eighth and ninth centuries CE.
