The making of kilim rugs is a tradition dating back thousands of years. Starting out as practical and workmanlike floor coverings and wall hangings providing insulation and protection from the elements, over centuries they have evolved into an art form and a way to pass on cultural history through symbols incorporated into patterns. Most kilim rugs look like magic carpets from fairy tales, esoteric and darkly mysterious.

The word "kilim" is of Turkish origin, derived from Persian, and its usage can be dated to 1881. In the technical sense a kilim rug is distinct from other Oriental carpets (despite the fact that in common nomenclature they are generally grouped together) because it lacks a pile: where Oriental carpets are knotted, kilims are woven like tapestries. This technique was commonly practised in areas of Turkey (Anatolia and Thrace), North Africa, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, and Central Asia.

The weaving technique generally leaves vertical slits where two differently-coloured sections meet; though in some places in the southern Caucasus interlocking methods were used to minimise the slits (thus creating a stronger and more solid textile), they were common enough and unique to the kilim style, providing a jumping-off point for historians and researchers attempting to discover where and when they were first made.

Excavations at Fostat, in Egypt, have yielded flat woven textiles dating back to as early as the eleventh century B.C. 1000 B.C. was probably when the slit weaving technique evolved, though in a primitive form. By this time sheep had long since been domesticated, though flock management and selective breeding may not yet have allowed for the production of wool suitable for the intricacies of dyeing.

Because fabric, especially that which met with hard use, tends to degrade, there is little archaeological evidence that can provide definite proof of the origins of kilim rugs. We know for sure that by 2000 B.C. there were Sumerian artisans spinning wool from flocks of domestic sheep and goats and weaving intricate fabrics on looms; the advanced state of fibre arts then implies that the manufacture of rugs could have begun as early as the fourth century B.C. This theory is supported only by tenuous circumstantial evidence and supposition; no-one knows for sure whether or not the proper equipment existed then, as there is no evidence either way.

Another theory posits that the weaving of kilim rugs began in the Neolithic era, based on the motifs in Anatolian rugs that also appeared in cave paintings from that time period. It seems a bit far-fetched, and it probably is; this theory has no physical evidence whatsoever to back it.

The earliest examples of actual kilim rugs were unearthed in 1946-47 by a Russian archaeologist, S.I. Rudenko, in Siberia, preserved by permafrost. Within the same time frame, more samples were found in Anatolia, in an ancient city called Gordion. Contemporary carbon dating places these at 500 B.C. and 690 B.C., respectively. Despite their far-flung origins the textile pieces that were found were made with remarkably similar techniques.

Modern theory holds it that the flatweaving technique with vertical slits was stumbled upon by a number of groups in southeastern Europe and Asia independently, probably several times before it caught on and became commonplace. At any rate, in light of the lack of convincing evidence, the kilim rug as it is defined today is commonly believed to have originated among the nomadic tribes of central Asia.

In material terms, kilim rugs require remarkably few tools. A simple loom to support the warp threads, a shuttle to carry the weft, a beating comb, and wool are the primary materials. Silk and cotton were also used -- particularly in white design areas and for the warp -- but almost always in conjunction with wool, generally the sort from hardy double-coated sheep. Beads and metal baubles were sometimes attached to the surface of the weaving where fancy struck, but not often.

Myriad colours are a hallmark of kilim rugs. It wasn't until the nineteenth century that chemical dyes became commonplace; therefore, the weavers of kilim rugs used natural materials, boiled in water with a mordant or metal salt to make the colours fast. Madder root, indigo, St. John's wort, onion, saffron, camomile, rhubarb, turmeric, and almond were some of the dye plants that were used; they created a rainbow of colour, though dyeing methods were imprecise. It was (and still is) almost impossible to replicate a particular colour exactly in a different dye bath, when using dye plants. This contributed to the uniqueness of individual rugs.

Patterns on traditional kilim rugs are deeply symbolic. Mostly made up of geometric patterns and stylised figures, some scholars and contemporary weavers claim that the rugs tell stories, and serve as a means to pass down the oral histories of an effectively illiterate people. It is said that by tracing the movement of patterns through Asia one can determine tribal allegiances, long since forgotten but preserved in patterns, as well as the legends that accompanied them. Though rather unscientific it is beautifully imaginative, and adds to the mystique and appeal surrounding the rugs.

Today there is an active community of kilim enthusiasts and collectors, as well as modern artisans who make and repair them. Imitation rugs in synthetic fibres or made by machine are easy enough to come by in chain stores specialising in home décor; however, those who own genuine articles seem loathe to part with them, and fanatically jealous of anyone else who has a collection.

Istanbul's Carpet and Kilim Museum currently holds the world's largest and most extensive collection of rugs and associated artefacts.

Sources: "Iran Handicrafts - Textiles". http://www.iranworld.com/home/hvg-r051.htm "What is a Kilim?" http://www.kilim.com/about_kilims/whatskilim.asp "Origins". http://www.kilim.com/about_kilims/origins.asp "Tools and Materials". http://www.kilim.com/about_kilims/tools.asp "Dyes and Dyeing". http://www.kilim.com/about_kilims/dyes.asp "Language of Kilims". http://www.kilim.com/about_kilims/lang_of_kilims.asp "The Turkish Kilim - An Anatolian Tradition". http://www.turkishculture.org/tapestry/kilims.html "History of Rug and Kilim Weaving". http://www.about-turkey.com/carpet/history.htm

The Carpet and Kilim Museum is located in Istanbul in the Imperial Pavilion, Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet. It can be reached by telephone at 90-212-5181330 or online at http://www.sanalistanbul.com/virtualistanbul/Carpetandkilim.htm.