Women participating in the local rug weaving course in Sapanca district of Sakarya carry the forgotten art to the future, while contributing to the city's tourism and domestic economy.
The important cultural heritage of the touristic district Sapanca, local rugs are produced at the Public Education Center. Women, who color the yarns they obtain from natural wool with root dye and weave rugs with various Anatolian motifs, present their products to tourists at home and abroad through social media.
Women, who produce bags, mats and ornaments in addition to rugs, carry the forgotten art to the future, while contributing to the household economy.
"They promote Turkish traditions and symbols"
Sapanca Public Education Center Manager Selahattin Çağır told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they mostly sell products to tourists from abroad.
Stating that women produce and contribute to the household economy, Çağrı said, "Through products, they promote our country, Turkish traditions, symbols and emblems. Tourists ask, 'What do these mean?' And our teacher tells them in the best way possible."
Textile technologies course teacher Gül Coşar explained that they spin natural wool into yarn and dye it with root dye.
Mentioning that they sell the products they prepare in Turkey and abroad via social media, Coşar said, "It attracts the attention of Arabs in particular, and we sell them. Our motifs generally represent Anatolia. They attract more attention because they are local and forgotten handicrafts."
Mualla Bayraktar, one of the trainees, also stated that Arab tourists show great interest in rugs and that they contribute to their family budgets with the income they earn.
Pointing out that Sapanca attracts a lot of tourists, Dilek Küçük said, "Kilim is highly preferred because it is authentic. We have domestic and international sales, especially over the internet. Instead of sitting at home, we come here to produce something, we contribute to our home economy."