A seminar on the “Atlas of Turkish Knotted Carpets” project was held in Uşak.

The seminar of the project “Atlas of Turkish Knotted Carpets and the Stories of Their Motifs,” carried out in collaboration with the General Directorate of Relations with Civil Society of the Ministry of Interior, was held in Uşak.

The project aims to protect, preserve, and pass on the rich cultural heritage of traditional hand-woven knotted carpets, which are on the verge of disappearing, to future generations. The seminar was organized in Uşak as part of the project ‘Atlas of Turkish Knotted Carpets and the Stories of Their Motifs’ conducted together with the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Relations with Civil Society. The seminar took place in the conference hall of the Uşak Museum and was attended by Uşak Deputy Governor Önder Can, Uşak Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Senior Colonel Fahri Semiz, Uşak University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Lütfi Özav, Uşak Provincial Director of National Education Halil Yücel, faculty members, and students. The seminar began with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem.

In his opening speech, Uşak Communication Association President Utku Demiröz stated, “The goal is to preserve and sustain our traditional hand-woven knotted carpets that are on the verge of disappearing and to transfer this rich cultural heritage to future generations. In a globalizing world, it is of great importance to protect and sustain local cultures while bringing them together with universal culture. The Turkish Hand-Knotted Carpet Culture, which has a deep-rooted heritage throughout history, is rapidly losing its traditional values in recent years and is becoming distanced from its origins due to various reasons. The project focuses on collecting data in a single source by researching the Uşak hand-woven carpets that adorned European palaces in history and the hand-knotting techniques unique to Turks, as well as the stories related to our carpet culture and motifs in many parts of the world.”

After the opening speech, the historical significance of Turkish knotted carpets from past to present was discussed by History Professor Prof. Dr. Muhittin Tuş. Art Historian Mesut Kaya, responsible for the Dokuyan Eller Carpet and Kilim House, provided information about his studies; Osman Ünal shared information about carpet and kilim motifs; Sümeyra Günay discussed the current state of the carpet industry in Uşak and the national and international sales processes; and Umut İbrahim Demiröz spoke about the importance of Turkish knotted carpets among collectors and experts.

The seminar concluded with a tour of the exhibition following the discussions.