Why Turkey's 1000-Year-Old Handwoven Carpet Industry Is Dying

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It can take nearly a year to hand-weave a traditional Turkish carpet, which can often cost thousands of dollars. But now, because of Turkey's stalling economy and the COVID-19 pandemic, an industry that relies heavily on tourist dollars is shrinking. And those in the business fear that a 1,000 year old tradition is now hanging by a thread. 

Traditional Turkish carpets are typically woven by women. The carpets are usually made with wool or silk, and they typically display traditional motifs, animals, and plants.

At the Women's Cultural Center in Ankara, Turkey's capital, master weavers can take up to six months to complete only three square feet of a carpet, about the size of a hand towel.

"We weave our carpets with enthusiasm and affection from the beginning to the end," Raziye Başeğmez, a master trainer at the center, told Insider. "When it's done, we become the happiest person in the world, because this happiness is truly priceless."

The finished silk carpets at the women's center cost as much as $4,000. It's a luxury for many locals who have been grappling with a recession for the last five years.

Many carpet businesses in Istanbul have folded. It's especially noticeable in the city's Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. "There were a lot of carpet shops here. Now there are only four I think on the whole street," carpet store owner Hasan Basri Semerci told Insider.