DOSHMALTY or DÖSEMALTI

Doshmalty is a small town in the middle of south-eastern Anatolia. It is situated on a plain below sea level, not far from the Mediterranean sea. Its rugs are also known as Antalya, after a bigger town in the same area. The decorations of these rugs are geometric patterns with few colours, usually bright red with blue or bottle green. The most frequent patterns include the hooked "diamonds" similar to those of the Luri of Western Persia, often used in stylized tree or lattice compositions. The Doshmalty rugs are made entirely of wool and the pile is left quite high when sheared. The contours of the designs are usually dark colours and these are sheared lower than the rest of the rug. The fringes are long and braided, which gives them a further decorative touch. Another typical practice - also followed in the making of other Anatolian rugs - is to leave them in the sun on dedicated plots of land (that are watched by guards) to fade the colours, giving them a characteristic patina. It is easy to recognize these rugs because there is a marked difference between the colours on the top that are faded and the much brighter colours on the underside.