AFP Asia Business

Thousands of carpets and kilim rugs spread out in the sun form a festive and kaleidoscopic patchwork on the outskirts of Antalya, a coastal tourist city in southern Turkey. From June to September, in harvested fields cleared of stubble, merchants bring their cargo to age in the sun, tempering the bright hues of their natural colours and ridding them of undesirable elements.Hasan Topkara washed wool knotted carpets and rugs that come from across Turkey. He dries them, trims their fringes and stray strands if necessary, then spreads them out in the sunlight for three months, on the bare ground. The wool, coloured with natural vegetable dyes, takes on pastel tones and softens between the morning dew and the heat of the day.According to Topkara, in the past, up to 60,000 carpets were processed in each three month drying season in the Dosemealti district. But today he is one of the last ones to do so, with around 15,000 carpets stored side by side on a 40-hectare (100 acre) area.Around 50 workers watch them day and night, turning them regularly and monitoring the weather. About 100 people rush in from the surrounding villages to help fold the carpets if there is rain. In 45 minutes, everything must be put away in a sheltered place, then brought out again once the rain has stopped. Once they have reached the desired shade, most of the carpets are sent to Istanbul and its historic Grand Bazaar, from where they are frequently shipped abroad. Over the years, Topkara’s field of colours has become a tourist attraction, especially after Turkish pop singer Mabel Matiz recorded a video clip for his song “Sarmasik” there in 2018.