Turkmen Rugs

Turkmen Rugs are exquisite handwoven textiles that have captivated art enthusiasts and collectors for centuries. Originating from the nomadic Turkmen tribes of Central Asia, these rugs are renowned for their unparalleled craftsmanship, intricate designs and rich cultural heritage. Each Turkmen Rug is a testament to the skilled hands of the weavers who meticulously create them. These rugs are predominantly made using high-quality wool sourced from local sheep, renowned for its softness and durability. The wool is carefully dyed using natural pigments, resulting in vibrant and enduring colours that age beautifully over time. One of the distinguishing features of Turkmen Rugs is the intricate geometric patterns and motifs that adorn their piles. These patterns often symbolize elements of the Turkmen nomadic lifestyle, such as animals, plants and celestial bodies. The most iconic motif found in Turkmen Rugs is the gül, or 'elephant's foot', which is a recurring symbol of good luck and protection. Turkmen Rugs are not only exquisite pieces of art but also reflect the cultural identity and traditions of the Turkmen people.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Overview
    Turkoman / Turkmen carpets describe a diverse collection of rugs from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Turkmen carpets are known for their durability and unique patterns. Collectors highly favour antique Turkmen rugs and Turkmen carpets.  These carpets are often used as wall or door hangings and curtains. They are also very popular in Western markets. Some famous examples include those produced by Tekke, Salor and Yomut Turkmens.
  • Types Of Turkmen Rugs

    Antique Turkmen rugs are genuine and authentic and will give any space a touch of exotic flavour. The most famous are the Yomut, Ersari, Saryk, Salor and Tekke rugs.

  • Turkmen Rugs Are Made From The Finest Raw Materials

    Wool from Karaquoal sheep, an indigenous Turkmen breed, was traditionally used to weave Turkmen rugs because the tribespeople only had access to what was nearby. North East Persia, Turkmenistan & Afghanistan began using other materials in the late 19th & early 20th centuries.

    Due to their tribal nature, Turkmen rugs are typically small to medium-sized.

  • Standard Colours: Red, Brown, Ivory, Beige, Dark Blue, Dark Green, Coral, Orange, Gold

    The primary colour of Turkmen rugs tends to be a rich burgundy; however, the field hue of early Turkmen rugs ranges from brick-red to dark reddish-brown. Borders, güls and other design motifs were also done in various colours: brown, white, beige, dark blue, dark green, coral and orange.

    Following WWII, the market desire for more colours began to impact Turkmen rug and carpet manufacturing. Ivory, blues, greens and golds were introduced and used as accent colours.

  • Turkmen Rugs - Patterns & Styles

    The patterns used by Turkmen Rugs are typically geometric, plain and uncomplicated, as they are on all nomadic carpets.

  • Common Designs: Turkoman, Geometric, Turkmen Gül

    The popular Turkmen Gül (elephant foot) pattern is used in the Turkmen carpet designs of western and central Anatolian communities. Turkmen motifs are also commonly used by Anatolia's Yoruk and Kurdish tribes. Weaving districts in the Caucasus region, such as Genje, Kazak, Kuba and Shirvan, have incorporated the Turkmen gül into their weavings. Since weaving tribal items in Persia, the Afshar, Baluch, Kurd, Lori, Qashqai and Shahsavan tribes have incorporated Turkmen gül themes into their designs.

  • Weaving

    Weaving uses the Turkish (symmetric) or Persian (asymmetric) knot. It is a combination of the knotted pile with weft-faced warp floats. Warp floats are added for decorative effect.

  • Knotting

    Bashir, Tekke and Yomut carpets are examples of Turkmen-knotted carpets. The names all pertain to different Turkmen tribes that created and knotted their unique designs.

  • List Of Rug Types

    Bashir Rugs

    The Bashir Turkmen Rug is a type of carpet produced in Central Asia today in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The rug is characterized by a symmetrical design of geometric figures, often in red on a white background. Elaborately detailed borders surround the figures with flowers, birds, animals and geometric patterns. It is one of the oldest types of Persian rugs.

    Tekke Rugs

    Tekke carpets are floor coverings woven by the Tekke Turkmen, a significant population group of Turkmenistan. These Turkmen carpets are named after the Tekke nomads who weave them.

    The carpets are typically made on a double-weft loom, with supplementary wefts used to make the designs stand out. The weavers use natural dyes, which give the tribal rugs their warm, unique look but can be difficult to handle properly. Tekke rugs are woven with wool and are sometimes woven with silk.

    Yomut Rugs

    One of Turkmenistan's major tribes, the Yomut or Yomud, traditionally handwoven carpets are called Yomut carpets.

    These tribal rugs have a distinctive design based on geometric patterns. The colours and designs are also intricately symbolic.

    The distinctive design based on geometric patterns is called "gül" in Turkmen. Gül reflects a long-forgotten culture, which emphasizes the importance of symmetry. Gül designs are believed to have originated from Arabic and Persian cultures. Your rugs also have many symbolic meanings.

      1. Your rugs are woven by skilled craftsmen and women using traditional techniques.
      2. The subject matter of the Yomut rugs is rich with symbolic meaning.
      3. The colours of the Yomut rugs are symbolic as well: red represents love, wealth and fertility; blue represents heaven, knowledge and justice; green represents nature, life and fertility; and yellow represents the sun, enthusiasm and intellect.

    Saryk Rugs

    Traditionally, the designs of this type of Turkmen carpet use geometric patterns, sometimes with a central medallion, depicting plants, animals or scenes of daily life. Many Saryk rugs and Turkmen carpet variants have recently incorporated other designs, such as modern artwork and photographs.

    Saryk rugs are usually hand-knotted using natural dyes. They are woven on a vertical loom with a horizontal warp and vertical weft. The warp yarns are white or natural, and the weft yarns are coloured. The warp threads may be cotton, silk or wool and the weft threads are wool or a wool-cotton blend. Wool warp and weft threads are often combined in the weaving process.

      1. Various wool types are used in manufacturing Saryk rugs, including Karakul, Altai and Gobi sheep wool.
      2. Dyes used in Saryk rugs are natural and chemical-free.
      3. Saryk rugs are hand-knotted using traditional techniques handed down from generation to generation.
      4. Saryk rugs are woven on vertical looms with a horizontal warp and vertical weft. The warp yarns are white or natural, and the weft yarns are coloured.

    Salor Rugs

    A Salor Turkmen carpet is woven by hand in the Salor region of Western Turkmenistan. They are intertwined with the cotton warp's kilim technique (pile woven on weft).

      1. Each design is named after a local village and represents a specific ritual or celebration. The Salor Turkmen rugs are distinguished by their rich colour palettes, intricate designs, and dense pile.
      2. Each design is named after a local village and represents a specific ritual or celebration. The Salor Turkmen rugs are distinguished by their rich colour palettes, intricate designs, and dense pile.
      3. The colour palette of a Salor Turkmen rug, often dominated by bright shades of red, yellow, blue, green, brown, and ivory, is often vibrant in colour.
      4. The intricate design of Salor Turkmen rugs includes geometric motifs such as diamonds, rectangles, triangles, lozenges and floral motifs such as tulips, poppies and pomegranates.
  • History Of Turkmen Rugs

    Original Turkmen rugs were traditionally produced by nomadic tribes with local materials such as wool from herds of sheep and goats and vegetable dyes or other natural dyes. Tribes used geometrical designs that differed from one another.

    Turkmen carpets have been found in antique shops since the eighteenth century. Antique Turkmen rugs were created in portions of northwestern Iran, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Syria and the former Soviet Union. They are usually somewhat similar and can be confused with Persian rugs.

    Turkistan is an ancient civilization located in Central Asia. The Turkic peoples were nomadic tribes who lived in tents and moved their herds across the steppes. In the early centuries AD, the Turkic tribes formed into four confederations: the Oghuz, Karluk, Khazar and Kipchak. These tribes later became the ancestors of modern-day Turks, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tajiks and Kyrgyz.

    The Turkmen people use wool as a source of income. The Turkmen people produce wool rugs using local resources.

  • Why Choose London House Rugs?

    We specialize in intricately woven Turkmen carpets & rugs at London House Rugs. We've spent more than four decades honing our method and cultivating long-term, ethical connections with weavers all around Asia. 

    A London House Rug is subjected to rigorous sourcing, manufacturing and finishing procedures to assure quality and beauty.

    We spend a lot of time looking for the most beautiful antique carpets and developing long-term ethical relationships with weaving cooperatives. 

    Our store has a massive assortment of new and antique rugs in various sizes.

    Please look at some of our recent projects to get a sense of the wide range of services we offer, including everything from a single hearth rug for your house to a hundred handcrafted Persian carpets for a hotel rollout.

    Because we have over 40 years of experience, we can assist you in selecting the ideal rug for your space.