Hand-knotted carpet repair in Turkey and a workshop proposal in the context of profession-expert-artifact

Hand-knotted carpets and rugs, which have been used or preserved for many years, can deteriorate due to various factors such as physical, chemical, biological causes, or experience damage in the form of tears and holes. To address these issues and restore the functionality of the carpet, repair and restoration operations are carried out. In Turkey, there are workshops dedicated to repairing hand-woven carpets that have lost their original condition and functionality. These workshops specialize in reweaving and restoring carpets at a certain cost, forming the profession known as 'hand-knotted carpet repairing'. Titled The Hand-Knotted Carpet Repairing in Turkey and Workshop Proposal in the Context of Profession-Expert-Artifact, this thesis explores the conservation and repair of hand-knotted carpets, which are significant tangible cultural assets, as well as the profession of hand carpet repairing. This traditional profession is on the verge of disappearing in Turkey, along with the individuals who practice it. The interconnection among these three elements—profession (handmade carpet repair), expert (carpet repair expert or specialist), and artifacts (handwoven carpets)—is essential for their sustainable preservation. It is not practical to address only one element, identify problems solely within the conservation and repair discipline, and propose solutions in isolation. Therefore, the thesis's unique and significant contribution lies in its proposal of a workshop concept, aiming to sustain the triad of profession-expert-artifact through the lens of conservation and repair. In contemporary Turkey, there is a growing focus on the profession of handmade carpet repairing, which is a business line that holds traditional, cultural, and artistic value. This profession, along with carpet repair experts, carpet repair workshops, and the activities carried out within these workshops, is facing the risk of disappearing. The overarching goal of this thesis was to investigate the key aspects related to the profession- expert -artifact triad within the field of conservation and repair. The aim was to identify issues and propose workshop solutions to address the problems determined. By exploring the research question 'What should a workshop look like to ensure the sustainability of the profession- expert-artifact?', several inquiries were made to fulfill this broad objective. To comprehensively address the various situations within the profession-expert-artifact relationship and compare them, a multiple case design was employed as a qualitative research method in this study. In addition to conducting a literature review, various techniques, and tools such as observation, interviews, and descriptions were utilized throughout the research process. The visits took place on different dates according to the interview requests accepted by these workshops. A total of 42 actively working carpet repair experts from these workshops volunteered to participate in the study and were interviewed. The findings obtained during the thesis work are discussed under the title of "Conclusions and Suggestions". As a solution to the problems identified in the context of profession-expert-artifact, "Carpet Protection and Repair Workshop", which was fictionalized in Chapter 5, was proposed.