What is double-sided silk carpet?

Double-sided carpet is one of the most important works of art of the Turkmen people of Iran, which has a high value and attractiveness. As the name of this carpet suggests, unlike other hand-woven carpets, both sides of this carpet are woven. The fiber used to weave this carpet is natural silk. Because of these features, this carpet has reached the world record.

Double-sided silk carpet is woven in the village of Doidokh in the city of Raz and Jarglan. This village is located at the zero point of the border between North Khorasan and Turkmenistan. The people of this village have been practicing this special art for many years and have passed its secrets from one generation to another. You may be able to witness the weaving of double-side silk carpets in other areas of North Khorasan province, but definitely this village of Doidokh is the main weaving center of this type of carpet.

                 Turkmen Weavers are weaving double-sided silk rug

Mrs. “Abadan Ghezel Chechizadeh” is the main creator of this type of carpet, who has been able to pass on the special method of weaving this carpet to her children and future generations. The people of Doidokh village are part of the Tekkeh Turkmen  group, who make a living by weaving these carpets. These carpets are so popular that all the weaves are pre-purchased and foreign tourists who come to Iran visit this village to visit and buy.

How to weave double-sided silk carpet?

For the weaving of double carpets, a vertical loom with a base is used so that two weavers can weave at the same time. The weaving method is that one weaver weaves one side of the carpet and after one row is woven, a thin and thick weft passes to strengthen the texture of the carpet. Then the second weaver starts to weave the back of the carpet and after finishing weaving, passes thin and thick weft. In the same way, the weaving is done until the end, and finally the carpet is separated from the loom.

                            One side Turkmen rug

Symmetrical knots are used for two-sided carpets. The important point for weaving these carpets is that knots equal in length and width should be used. It doesn’t matter if the pattern is the same or different, only the number of knots is important. One of the common designs of this carpet is that the front of the carpet is a flower and the back is a tree.

                              Other side Turkmen rug

Features of double-sided carpets

• Despite being double-sided, this carpet has a low thickness and unique beauty.
• This carpet is usually woven in small and medium sizes. The common size among weavers is 1.4 x 2 meters.
• Unlike other hand-woven carpets, this carpet has no similar examples in the world and is woven only in Iran.
• Natural silk fibers are used to weave double-sided silk carpets, that’s why it is one of the most precious works of art in the world.
• Because both sides of the carpet must be woven, it takes a long time to weave it. The approximate time for weaving a 12 square meter double silk carpet, if 4 people are engaged in weaving at the same time, takes about 6 months.
• The designs used for this mental carpet were created based on the imagination of the weavers. The common designs are Mari-Gul, Ayne-Gul and Four Seasons.
• The Turkmen people of this village use the leaves of the mulberry tree and silkworms to produce cocoons and even produce silk thread for carpet weaving.
• After preparing the silk thread, the dyeing of the silk threads is done by the village people themselves. They dye the silk fibers using natural dyes, especially walnut shell, madder plant, pomegranate shell, mulberry leaves and barberry juice.

You can see:

Types of Natural Dyes in Carpets and Their Characteristics

• The natural dyeing of the carpets in this area has made the quality of the carpets not only very high and they do not fade over time, but also very beneficial for health due to the lack of chemicals.
• Double silk carpets have a special softness and elegance. In addition to being used as a floor covering, these carpets can also be used as a table cloth, hanging and decorative for home decoration.

Double-sided silk carpet attracts many foreign tourists every year because of its intrinsic value and also its special beauty. 80% of Turkmen double-sided carpets are exported outside of Iran, mostly to European countries, Japan and Persian Gulf countries. Also, European and Arab countries are among the main customers of double-sided carpets.