Arriving in the port of Kuşadası, Turkey
Pigeon Island is connected to the mainland by a walkway. There is an old castle on the island that was originally used to protect the harbor.
At a Turkish carpet factory we saw a demonstration showing silkworm cocoons being heated in water to make it easier to separate the silk threads from the cocoon.
The silk threads easily unwind from the cocoons after they are heated.
A small carpet in progress. The paper pattern is used as a guide while weaving the silk.
Entering the show room at the carpet factory.
The last stop we made on our Aegean Sea cruise was the port of Kuşadası on the coast of Turkey. While we were there, we visited a Turkish carpet factory where we learned how they harvest silk from cocoons and use it to weave the beautiful silk carpets you see in the above photos. Not only are these carpets beautiful, they are extremely soft to walk on and they let us take our shoes off and feel them for ourselves. I would have loved to purchase one for my house, but they are extremely expensive (thousands of Euros even for a small one) and the cost combined with the fact that my cat would probably dig her claws into it made my decision not to buy one very easy.
I will be taking a break from my blog for awhile in order to spend time with my family over Thanksgiving. See you soon!
19 comments:
Lois, those carpets are spectacular. Now I know I'd better get out my 2 little prayer rugs that I put away when I had a cat...I don't know that they are silk, but they do have pretty colors. I mainly don't need to walk on them for safety! Have a happy Thanksgiving!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, Lois!
...what time consuming work, no wonder that they are so expensive.
Fantastic Photos And Thanx So Much For Sharing
Cheers
Wow, I almost missed this post! It didn't seem to turn up till now, well after midnight! This is fascinating, especially the silk pods. The carpets are gorgeous, my favorite is the blue one. such beautiful water and sky. Wishing you a warm and wonderful holiday!!
Os tapetes são fantásticos e de uma grande beleza.
Um abraço e boa semana.
Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
O prazer dos livros
Yes they want to sell and sell.... but they are beautiful indeed.
Hello,
The carpets are beautiful, I guess they would have to be shipped to your home if you bought one. Love the views! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy new week!
Cool rugs
enjoy your time off. this is amazing, I know they use silk but have never really thought about the how. truly amazing story and photos. thanks for sharing this
The carpets are beautiful.
That must have been so interesting. Those carpets on display are gorgeous. Have a nice holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Loved this tour...from the cocoons to the finished product, every step of the way was fascinating...thank you!
The finished carpets are incredible.
Those carpets are wonderful.
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy time with your family.
All the best Jan
Those luxurious oriental rugs! I love me an oriental rug!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours
Interesting to see a part of the silk process!
A happy Thanksgiving to you!
Great process shots, Lois!
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving. It looks like you had a wonderful journey.
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