BERGAMA CARPET

any of several types of village floor coverings handwoven in the vicinity of Bergama, western Turkey, or brought there for market from the interior of the country. Although most Bergama carpets date from the 19th and 20th centuries, rare examples survive from the 17th century. The bold patterns, usually in red, blue, and white, are highly varied. Several designs, showing rows of panels or centralized medallion designs, preserve the fashions of much earlier centuries. Large central diamond designs, for example, are derived from a wreath motif seen in Ottoman court prayer rugs of the 17th century. The format of Bergama carpets is usually more nearly square than in other Turkish types, and the few known prayer rugs tend to be unusually small. An erosive red-dye process sometimes causes the pile to look as if it had been cut in relief.