Kilims

The name 'Kilim' or 'Kelim' is Turkish word and derives from the Persian 'Gelim' which means  'to spread roughly'. Kilims are flat tapestry-woven carpets or rugs produced from the Balkans to Pakistan and due to their flat woven nature, are not as hard wearing as a pile rug or carpet and thus few very old specimens remain.

Kilims can be purely decorative or can function as prayer rugs.

Kilims are made by tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands of the weave to produce a flat surface with no pile. Most kilim weaves are "weft-facing", i.e., the horizontal weft strands are pulled tightly downward so that they hide the vertical warp strands.

When the end of a color boundary is reached, the weft yarn is wound back from the boundary point. Thus, if the boundary of a field is a straight vertical line, a vertical slit forms between the two different color areas where they meet. For this reason, most kilims can be classed as "slit woven" textiles.

The slits are beloved by collectors, as they produce very sharp-etched designs, emphasizing the geometry of the weave.

Weaving strategies for avoiding slit formation, such as interlocking, produce a more blurred design image.

The weft strands, which carry the visible design and color, are almost always wool, whereas the hidden warp strands can be either wool or cotton.

The warp strands are only visible at the ends, where they emerge as the fringe. This fringe is usually tied in bunches, to ensure against loosening or unraveling of the weave.

Because Kilims are cheaper than pile rugs, many new carpet collectors often start with them. Despite what many perceive as their secondary status to pile rugs or carpets, kilims have become increasingly collectible in themselves over recent years, with quality pieces now commanding high prices.

What some sense as inferiority is actually a different nature of rugs woven for indigenous use as opposed to rugs woven on a strictly commercial basis.

Because kilims were not a major export article, there were no foreign market pressures changing the designs, as happened with pile carpets.

Once collectors began to value authentic village weaving, Kilims became popular.