A Carpet's Story

Goreme is a small village in the heart of Cappadocia, Turkey, where everything is lost in time. Cappadocia is a region known for the stunning rock formations, subterranean churches and underground dwellings. The village of Göreme itself is at the heart of the area’s tourist industry, and many of its villagers still live in cave dwellings, some of which have been converted into pensions. Cappadocia was a refuge for the early Christians, who escaped persecution by living and worshipping underground.

The area is also famous for its carpet-weaving, wines and the distinctive red pottery of the Avanos area. Tourism is one of the main economic source of the village along with the carpet industry that gives work to half of the population. Women contribute the most to the production of carpet weaving, while man sells them to tourist. Carpet weaving has been transferred from grandmother to granddaughter, young girls learn how to weave between 12 and 13 years old. All the carpets are weaved in cooperation, making weaving a work of collectivity where everybody participate. It take between one month up to 20 years for a carpet to be sewed, depend on the quality and dimension of it. The carpet industry gives income to many family in Cappadocia and the all Turkey, and is also a remarkable tradition in the story of this country.