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Tülüs are thick, densely woven village rugs with simple motifs rich in symbolism. Like the gabbeh rugs made by the nomads of western Iran, tülüs are woven to meet the needs of pastoral life. Ponderously thick, they provide a soft cushion, warm a bed, and even keep scorpions at bay.
Tülüs are thick, densely woven village rugs with simple motifs rich in symbolism.
The name tülü (“TOO-loo”) comes from the Turkish word tüylü, meaning “hairy.” This is apropos, as the signature pile on a tülü can exceed 5 cm (approx. 2 in.) in depth, retaining a distinctive loftiness despite the wide spacing between rows.
From the Heart of Anatolia
Tülüs come primarily from central Anatolia, particularly the Kurdish villages surrounding Konya, a pastoral district separated from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea by the rocky east-west spine of the Taurus Mountains.
Konya is most famous as the adoptive home of Rumi and for its abundance of Sufi mystics—popularly known as the Whirling Dervishes. The region is also noted for its production of mohair and village weavings, including tülüs.
A rare black-brown prayer niche tülü
Tülüs are a sort of time capsule. Collectors have historically passed over these rugs because they lack the high knot counts and precise adherence to classical patterns and motifs that are traditional benchmarks of weaving quality.
This emphasis misses the point of a tülü, however. Tülüs are functional weavings whose technical characteristics and bold motifs reflect their weavers’ daily needs and personal aesthetic preferences.
Like the gabbeh rugs made by the nomads of western Iran, tülüs are woven to satisfy the material and spiritual demands of pastoral village life. Ponderously thick, they provide a soft cushion when placed on the floor of a nomadic tent or humble village house. Used in combination with a felted wool mat, their dense pile keeps the damp at bay. When hung inside a tent wall, they insulate against drafts and the biting cold of an Anatolian winter.
The rug dealers of Istanbul’s bazaars also claim tülüs offer protection against pesky arachnids. A tülü's thick mohair pile ensnares scorpions attracted by the body heat of a sleeping pastoralist—or so the claim goes.
Motifs matter, too. Although some tülüs feature abstract and open-field compositions, many are woven with abstract graphic motifs that have great symbolic value.
Antique examples include symbols of paramount religious importance, such as prayer niches, often in a stacked format (see above).
Others feature the evil eye (nazar), a traditional symbol frequently fly reproduced in amulets and decorative art for its folkloric capacity to deflect envy and ward off evil.
Mohair Minimalism
Interest in tülüs has grown steadily since the 1970s, as collectors and designers have moved away from the ornate aesthetics of earlier eras toward something more elemental.
Valued for their authenticity and artistry, these rugs also offer versatility. With open fields and soft, neutral tones, they are equally at home in a contemporary loft apartment and pastoralist's tent.
