Mythic/archetypal analysis of Anatolian kirkitli weavings: The example of Bergama carpets

The art of weaving has accompanied a large part of human history. Anatolia, which has been dominated by various civilizations throught the history and belongs to the Turks since the 11th century; is one of the important centers where the art of weaving is kept alive. Weavings have an important place in Anatolian Cultural heritage. These weavings have different patterns, colors and composition features in each region. The definition of weaving has been done over concepts such as eternity, immortality and plentifulness, and it was thought that mythological elements were effective in this development process (Oran, 2021). Additionally, it is thought that the forms and color and composition feature of the patterns are used made for ease of use, because hand weaving; it is a cultural value whose raw material is obtained from the natural environment and shaped by the experiences, economic activities, feelings, beliefs and every situation in the region where it continues to exist. However, data on the psychological factors underlying this condition are scarce. The concept of archetype can be used to fill this data gaps. Archetypes, put forward by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung, examining human character and behavior and associated with the collective unconscious, have been influential in the emergence of mythological elements. The similarities in many geographies of the concepts that have the same meaning integrity in the mythological stories is the biggest example of the myths being shaped by the collective unconscious (Oran, 2021). Examining the relationship between pattern, color and composition features with archetypes, since many motifs used in weaving contain mythological elements; it will be beneficial in terms of illuminating the formation process of weavings. Traditional hand weaving, events, behaviors, beliefs that are important for a society; it is an element of material culture that immortalizes entities that become symbols by embracing meanings such as power, superiority and abundance by transforming them into patterns. Bergama carpets have these characteristics and are shaped in their own special, cultural and natural environment. Therefore, with the association with the concept of archetype, a new perspective will be obtained in the interpretation of Anatolian "Kirkitli" weavings.