Hereke Carpets
Among Turkish carpets, Hereke is the name that needs no introduction. Woven in the tradition of the Ottoman court workshops, Hereke silk carpets are prized for knotting so fine it approaches miniature painting. Yurdan Carpet keeps a small, genuine Hereke archive, each piece shown openly with knots and all, at our showroom in Sultanahmet.
The Hereke workshops were founded in the nineteenth century to weave for the Ottoman palaces. That heritage survives in the discipline of the drawing: balanced medallions, garden scenes, prayer niches and the famous Tree of Life composition.
Hereke silk work is defined by density. Finer knots mean truer curves: the difference between a suggested flower and a drawn one. On our figurative pieces you can read gestures and faces in pure silk thread.
The word 'Hereke' is used loosely in the bazaar. We show you why a piece earns the name: the knot structure on the back, the silk sheen test, the fineness of the detail, before any talk of price.
Also in our archive
Hereke is a town on the Gulf of İzmit whose workshops became famous for exceptionally fine hand-knotted carpets, above all in silk. The name stands for a standard of knot density, drawing and finish that collectors recognise worldwide.
The combination of very fine silk knotting, disciplined court-tradition patterns and painstaking workmanship. A single piece can take a weaver months or years. Detail that is impossible at lower densities, such as figures, animals and miniature borders, becomes possible in Hereke work.
Yes. Our Sultanahmet showroom keeps several genuine Hereke silk pieces, from the Tree of Life to figurative garden compositions. We show the knotting under magnification and explain each piece's origin before you decide anything.
Visit the Showroom
Our gallery sits on Divanyolu Street, the historic axis of old Istanbul, a short walk from Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. Come in for Turkish tea; leave with a story woven in silk.
Open every day · 08:00 – 00:00
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