Famous Hereke carpets, with their features differentiating them from other handmade carpets, gain popularity again thanks to TV dramas.
Turkey’s famous Hereke carpets, which are displayed at the Ottoman sultans’ palaces, mansion and pavilions, including the Dolmabahce Palace, have regained their lost fame thanks to Turkish TV dramas, according to the head of a carpet firm.
The Hereke carpets have lost their fame because of cheaply-made lookalikes and the lack of effective promotions in the international arena. But recently, the carpets, which have been used as decor in Turkish dramas that draw viewers in many countries, have risen in fame along with the shows. Director of a carpet firm in the north-western province of Kocaeli, Ismail Sasdım said the production of Hereke carpets began in 1843 with the establishment of Hereke Fabrika-i Humayun, in order to meet furnishing and curtain needs of palaces that were built in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. He said Hereke carpets are as valuable as artefacts because they are hand-made, and added the carpets had become well-known in the world.
Source: Hurriyet