Angelique Serrano - Reflection #2

Day 12 - Turkish Carpet Weaving Demonstration

On Day 12, we arrived in Kuşadas, Turkey and toured the ruins of Ephesus. Afterwards, we were able to view a carpet weaving demonstration. This is a tradition that has been passed down for generations from mothers to their daughters. Weaving is a time-consuming process, so the women use the activity to decrease their stress and as a time of reflection while continuing traditions. We were told that one of the smaller carpets would take about three months to complete, so the larger carpets require about six months minimum to complete. The women are also not required to work as much as they wanted to and when they wanted to, which made me still questions why this tradition is being used to make a profit. Though not everything is about money, people sell things to make a profit, not to dig themselves into a hole. Because the rugs are handmade over several months, the cost of labor increases the price of the rug. 

The artist can also determine the price of the rugs as well. Smaller rugs can sell for a few hundred, and some of the larger ones averaged around six thousand dollars. The prices emphasize how authentic the rugs are because the process is time consuming and the women are not being forced to work a certain number of hours. The demonstration was fascinating to watch because the women had incredible speed and precision within their craft. The art they do is beautiful, and their passion is displayed through their patience. Though I could not ever imagine purchasing a carpet for that much money, I recognize the hard work they do in creating their art while also preserving tradition.