Kilim: the Rug Weaving the Culture of Ancient Tribes

Weaving Kilim rugs is believed to have started thousands of years ago because of their existence in ancient Egyptian tombs. They are originally made by different tribes that practices weaving for their survival on places with cold weather. Kilim rugs are flat-weave rugs that are known to be the ancient relatives of carpets, which are commonly used in homes today.

Kilims show the creativity of our ancestors through the designs and patterns woven. The designs and patterns on those rugs symbolize different things that are present in their environment. The colors, patterns and designs of modern Kilims are still based on the antique Kilim rugs. Those symbols are believed to be used by our ancestors in Atlas Mountains, the Navajo Indians, Indians of the Andes, and Afghan nomads.

The colors of kilim rugs have different meanings. Yellow stands for pomegranate peel, vine leaves, and weld while brown represents walnut shells and bark of oak tree. Green color is a combination of indigo and weld while black is for walnuts Larkspur. Henna is for flowers and leaves and Purple represents hollyhocks.

The designs of Kilims, on the other hand, usually have hidden meanings rooted on the mythology, beliefs and legends during ancient times. Variations on the symbols used in weaving the Kilim rugs are based on the region where the kilims are woven. Most common motifs of kilims are eye, ram’s horn, wheatear, pomegranate, bird, tree of life, spider, snake and diamond-shaped motifs. The eye motif symbolizes charm and is used to prevent misfortune due to the envious and malicious eyes of the people who gaze with evil purpose. These types of kilim rugs are found in African and Asian countries. These rugs are believed to protect the people living in the house where these rugs are used.

The rams’ horn motifs are used as design in Kilim rugs to symbolize power because in ancient Anatolian civilizations, the horns of rams are believed to be the source of power of gods. The wheatear motif and the pomegranate motif, on the other hand, are used to attract or add prosperity in a home. The wheatear symbolizes fertility of earth while the pomegranate is the fruit, which has plenty of seeds representing wealth. The bird motif are believed to attract good news from far away and is typically used by people who have relatives or loved ones who are far from them.

The tree of life motif used in Kilim rugs designs represents the relationship between the spiritual world and the mortal life while the spider motif represents the magnificent ability of Arachne as a weaver. The spider motif however is related to the tree of life motif because the snake is believed to be the protector of the tree of life. It symbolizes life energy and rebirth. Lastly, the diamond-shaped motif that is very important to women during the ancient times symbolizes maternity. Women weaving this type of kilim rugs are wishing to bear a child soon.

With those magnificent symbols and patterns and the symbols or meanings associated with them, Kilim rugs are becoming popular as home décor bringing protection, prosperity and luck to the members living in the home.