Origin of Milas Rugs ¹

Milas or Melas is a town of southwest Anatolia.

History of Milas Rugs

Rug weaving may have begun in Milas as early as the seventeenth century. Some Mejidian-style rugs were also woven in the area.

Characteristics of Milas Rugs

• Material and Knots

Milas rugs are all wool with red wefts. Most rugs are coarsely knotted with densities varying between 55 and 75 symmetric knots per square inch. Currently there is no weaving in Milas itself, but only in the surrounding villages.

• Design and Pattern

Designs of rugs from Milas and surrounding villages include prayer rugs with a diamond-shaped mihrab derived from Ottoman horseshoe-shaped mihrabs, rugs with vertical panels similar to those of Makri, and rugs with fields occupied by a vertical column of boxes or diamonds.