What is a Kilim?

A kilim is a hand woven piece that is made on a loom. The technique of flat weaving natural fibre. Kilims are used for decoration, floor and wall coverings. Flat weaving means the piece does not have pile (or knots). The vibrant colours, patterns and dyes that make Kilims are equlivalent to those of carpets. Kilims are also made with wool, cotton and silk. The passion, desires and skill of the women who produce Kilims make each piece unique. A Kilim may be used on both sides it is equally attractive (identical) on the reverse side.

The difference between a kilim rug and a carpet or pile rug is that whereas the design visible on the kilim is made by interweaving the variously colored wefts and warps, thus creating what is known as a flatweave, in a pile rug individual short strands of different color, usually of wool, are knotted onto the warps and held together by pressing the wefts tightly against each other. In this case the whole design is made by these separately knotted strands which form the pile, and the patterns become clearly visible after any excessive lengths of the knotted materials are shorn off to create a level surface.

The exclusive designs of handmade new and old carpets , rugs and kilims from Bulgaria,Turkey and also Persian, Caucasian and Central Asia origins so extensive that they cover hundreds of years. All are hand knotted on traditional wooden looms using hand carded , hand spun. made of pure silk ,wool , cotton and combinations of them.

Technique and Terms:

Flatweaves generally need less labor and material but some may show great art. They are produced for both utilization and decoration. Since many of them are made by simpler techniques than pile knotting it can be assumed that flatweaves predate the pile carpets. Most probably they have been produced since Neolithic period so there is no doubt that flatweaves have been in use for millennia.

According to style, flat-waves are called in several terms like kilim, cicim, zili and chul. Kilim is the general term to call flatweaves.

In kilim technique, the pattern is created by passing a colored weft (horizontal yarns) over and under the warps (vertical yarns). The motif is completed by repeating this in opposite directions. Then second motif is made with different colored yarn. The two adjacent motifs can not be joined properly so a 'slit' emerges between them.