The analysis of rugs i̇n the Gaziantep mevlevihane foundation museum

Gaziantep has hosted many civilizations as well as Turkish-Islamic civilizations from the past to the present day. Gaziantep has significance because of the importance of its location. Gaziantep hosting the first civilizations like Mesopotamia has shaped the history of the region because it is in the crossroads between the roads from the South and Mediterranean to the East and the North. Mevlevi sect was founded by the son of Rumi, Sultan Veled after Rumi‟s passage to the eternal life by drawing together his lovers who had been benefited from his words, preaches, and works. This order was named as "Mevleviyeh". Mevlevihanes (Mevlevi lodges) are the buildings that are owned by Mevleviyeh sects. Gaziantep Mevlevihane were built as a zawiyah. When the storehouse of General Directorate of Foundations started to be filled up with rugs, carpets, hand-written Qurans, and candlesticks in 1980s, it became necessary to found Foundation Museums in some cities. Having a long history, "weaving" has started when people learned to stitch the animal hides using thin leather and intestine, and continued by making thread by twisting animal and herbal fibers. Flat weaved rugs and carpet tradition emerged among the Turks living in Central Asia, and developed there. Then, it was brought to Anatolia by Seljuk Turks, and improved here. The rugs have the same faces where the warp threads are covered by design threads. It is possible to see these kinds of weaves in almost every corner of Anatolia. The rugs in Gaziantep Mevlevihane Foundations Museum are dated back to 18th - 20th centuries. These rugs have the late period characteristics. The total number of rugs is 31, which are both in exhibition hall and the store. The rugs in the museum are from Konya, Kars, Malatya, Sivrihisar, and the locations where the immigrants from Bulgaria lived, and the rugs have the motifs pertain to these regions. The purpose of this study was to examine these weaved rugs in terms of types, sizes, techniques, qualities, motifs, colors, and composition properties. Keywords: Gaziantep, Central Asia, Mediterranean, Weaving, Mevlevihane, Museum, Rug, Composition