Hand-woven carpets from across Türkiye are meticulously sun-treated on empty wheat fields during the summer months, ensuring they are sterilized and their colors enhanced before being shipped worldwide. In Antalya alone, over 20,000 carpets and rugs undergo this traditional process annually, turning the fields into vibrant “carpet fields.”
The Döşemealtı district in Antalya is particularly known for this practice. Local businesses and landowners first repair the carpets, some of which are over a century old. The carpets are then submerged in sterile pools to eliminate germs before being laid out in the sun to fade their colors to a desirable pastel shade.
“Our fields do not remain empty. We use them for carpets in the summer and wheat in the winter,” said Hasan Topkara, who manages a carpet business. This year, his business plans to treat nearly 15,000 carpets. Topkara explained, “First, the moths are cleaned and their backs are burned. We disinfect them and pastelize their colors in the sun.” The process requires continuous monitoring to avoid damage from unexpected rain, with constant checks on meteorological forecasts.
The sun treatment, conducted at regular intervals, allows the carpets to absorb moisture and heat, solidifying their colors. Veteran carpet maker Halil Börekçi elaborated, “Foreign substances soften with the effect of heat. The dew that falls in the morning softens the carpet and evaporates with the heat at noon, naturally cleansing the fibers of any germs.”
This traditional method not only ensures the cleanliness and aesthetic enhancement of the carpets but also bolsters the thriving export business. Remarkably, 99 percent of these handcrafted wool carpets, which are free of synthetic materials and dyed with natural root dyes, are sold abroad. After the sun treatment, they are sent to Istanbul for final processing before export, primarily to the U.S. market and, to a lesser extent, Europe.
“Customers want these processes. Customers in the U.S. and Europe say that suntanned carpets fit the decoration well and sell faster,” Börekçi added, underscoring the global appeal and market demand for these meticulously treated Turkish carpets.
