Istanbul artisan revives centuries-old carpets from palaces, sacred sites

Artisan restores rare handwoven textiles, from Ottoman palace carpets to Madinah's rug used in Riazul Jannah

In a small workshop in Istanbul's historic carpet market, master restorer Ahmet Bayrakdar has spent nearly four decades bringing centuries-old carpets back to life, repairing rare pieces from royal collections and historic sites around the world while preserving their original craftsmanship.

Working from the Carpet Dealers' Bazaar in Istanbul's Fatih district, Bayrakdar restores antique handwoven carpets using traditional techniques, receiving orders from both Türkiye and abroad.

Bayrakdar told Anadolu that he began his career as an apprentice in 1987 after arriving in Istanbul from Aksaray for what was initially meant to be a short visit. He later took over the workshop where he trained and specialised in restoring antique silk carpets.

Over the years, he has repaired carpets belonging to royal families and private collectors from different countries.

One of his most challenging projects is an 18th-century Ottoman carpet woven at Istanbul's historic Feshane workshop for the imperial palace. The restoration has taken three years and is expected to be completed within the next two months.

"The most remarkable feature of this carpet is that our ancestors combined silk with metal threads," Bayrakdar said.

"They blended fine copper threads into the silk, creating one of the rarest weaving techniques in the world. The borders also contain poems and praises dedicated to the Ottoman dynasty," he added.

Another restoration awaiting his workshop carries deep religious significance.

Bayrakdar said the carpet was used in the Riazul Jannah, the area between the Holy Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) tomb and the pulpit at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah. "We expected a carpet from a palace or a royal family because we often receive such projects," he said.

"When we learned it was a carpet from the Roza, where millions of Muslims have prayed during Hajj and Umrah, we were deeply moved. Restoring it in our workshop in Türkiye gives it an even greater spiritual meaning for us."

Bayrakdar said not every antique carpet can be restored safely, particularly those more than 200 years old. "Restoring a carpet that old is as risky as performing heart surgery on a 100-year-old person," he said.

"You insert the needle, but the carpet no longer accepts it because the fibers have deteriorated with age. Sometimes the material simply falls apart."

Most carpets currently in his workshop are between 100 and 150 years old, he said, describing them as valuable examples of handwoven craftsmanship.

According to Bayrakdar, restoration times vary depending on the carpet's age, condition and weaving technique.

A recently restored 150-year-old Iranian Melayer carpet took around two weeks to complete, while the Ottoman palace carpet has required years of painstaking work.

"In antique carpet restoration, the carpet itself determines the timeline, not us," he said. "The goal is to make the repair blend seamlessly into the original work and recreate the appearance it had centuries ago. That requires craftsmanship, patience and precision."

One of the most demanding projects of his career involved what he described as the world's finest carpet. "An ordinary carpet has about four knots per square centimeter," he said. "The one I restored had 1,650 knots in the same area."

Bayrakdar said the intricate work required repairing the carpet under magnification, which caused a blood vessel in his left eye to burst and swell. "That is the memory that carpet left with me," he said.

Among the unforgettable pieces he has restored was an antique Ottoman silk carpet delivered to the palace of Malaysia's former King Muhammad V. "It was around 10 square metres and one of the most extraordinary antique silk carpets I have ever seen," he said. "It is a piece I will never forget."