The Carpet Training Center, also known as the Carpet Rug and Handicraft Application and Research Center, which has been one of the units established by Atatürk University, which has a long-standing history of 63 years, has been continuing its production since 1962 and continues to transfer the Turkish Carpet Weaving Art to the next generations.

The Carpet Training Center, which started its activities in the form of a small workshop with 22 weavers during the foundation years of the university, was later transformed into an "Institute" and was assigned to do research, training and extension services, especially in the village, in the field of handicrafts. The center, whose name has changed as the Turkish Carpet Weaving Research and Development Institute, has maintained its existence until today by continuing its activities under the name of the "Carpet Training Center" after the institutes were defined as "Academic Organs".

The Carpet Rug and Handicrafts Application and Research Center, which performs and produces the art of carpet weaving, is researcher, participatory, sharing, has original, artistic and aesthetic values and creates a contemporary teaching culture, preserves traditional weaving as well as the compositions of some types of weaving.

The Carpet Weaving Training Center, which creates the awareness of protecting the Turkish carpet weaving art by developing its application methods and techniques to future generations, also carries out long-term and regular social responsibility projects by creating a teaching culture and training professionally competent weaving masters who are respectful to social values.

Realizing an important mission in terms of protecting the Turkish carpet weaving art and carrying its application methods and techniques to the next generations, the center is taking firm steps towards education and production by contributing to our country's rise above the contemporary civilization level with the education it provides, the knowledge it produces and the cultural products it offers.

Region-specific traditional motifs are being recorded

As one of the oldest units of the university, the women working in the Carpet Rug and Handicrafts Application and Research Center, which has been serving the region's ancient culture for 58 years, both learn professions and contribute to the family economy. At the same time, the forgotten patterns and motifs specific to the region and tulip, carnation, bud, fault, claw and saz road leaf and flower motifs inspired by Ottoman palace carpets are interpreted and recorded in various compositions.

"We Maintain The Traditional Structure From History"

Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı said that the place and time that Turkish carpets were woven constitute the ethnographic value documents. Rector Prof. Dr. Çomaklı: “The Carpet Weaving Center, which has been operating within the body of Atatürk University for 58 years, is like an archive in order not to lose the natural, geographical and functional features, legends, motif names and regional expressions of the carpets woven in Erzurum and its surroundings over time. Our center, which contributes significantly to women in employment, carries out an important mission in order not to lose the Turkish carpet-rug culture. In addition, the rugs woven here contribute to the country's economy. We will continue to support the Carpet Weaving Center, which has been active for more than half a century, to continue its activities uninterruptedly from now on ”.

CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE - 27.11.2020