A rug from the Harem Series collection Rug on the coverHarem Series

Collection

Harem Series

One of the most special pieces and the highest-level examples of Anatolian weaving is the Harem series. Its award-winning designs, double knot weaving, yarn quality rarely seen even in textiles, and above all, the favorite of the Halıcızade team. Harem is usually chosen by those with refined tastes.

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  • 30rugs and kilims

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Products

  4. 133 × 197 cm, and the drawing is fifteenth-century Oushak

    Cream Oushak-Pattern Handwoven Wool Rug, Harem Series, 133×197 cm Halıcızade 133×197 cm

    One of a kind

    Cream Oushak-Pattern Handwoven Wool Rug, Harem Series

    Handwoven Rug · Silk · Wool ·Beige, Cream

    from 130.000 TL ≈ 50.000 TL/m²

    • Silk blend
    • All-natural fibers
    • Woven in wool

  9. Çınhar wove it in Erzurum fleece: cream ground, loosened figures

    Cream Oushak Handwoven Wool Rug, Harem Series, 145×198 – 171×219 cm Halıcızade 171×219 cm

    Cream Oushak Handwoven Wool Rug, Harem Series

    Handwoven Rug · Wool ·Cream

    from 142.000 TL ≈ 49.000 TL/m²

    • Silk blend
    • All-natural fibers
    • Woven in wool

  17. Two warps to a knot, cream ground, Erzurum in the fleece

    Cream Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Harem Series, 132×168 cm Halıcızade 132×168 cm

    One of a kind

    Cream Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Harem Series

    Handwoven Rug · Wool ·Brown

    from 110.000 TL ≈ 50.000 TL/m²

    • Silk blend
    • All-natural fibers
    • Woven in wool

  18. Brown Oushak, and the branches read before the flowers do

    Brown Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Harem Series, 130×165 cm Halıcızade 130×165 cm

    One of a kind

    Brown Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Harem Series

    Handwoven Rug · Silk · Wool ·Brown

    from 106.000 TL ≈ 49.000 TL/m²

    • Silk blend
    • All-natural fibers
    • Woven in wool

  23. Beige that deepens with the light, big Oushak figures at the edge

    Beige Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Harem Series, 200×271 cm Halıcızade 200×271 cm

    One of a kind

    Beige Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Harem Series

    Handwoven Rug · Wool ·Beige, Cream

    from 270.000 TL ≈ 50.000 TL/m²

    • All-natural fibers
    • Woven in wool

The Harem Series is a hand-knotted line woven for Halıcızade by Çınar Halı, using first-shear Erzurum fleece wool, Bursa silk and the symmetrical Gördes knot, in a contemporary reading of fifteenth-century Oushak medallion and floral drawing. The series is no longer in production; what is listed is what was woven.

Handwoven is a word the rug trade uses loosely, and very few rugs reach the standard it is meant to describe. This page sets out what is actually in a Harem rug — the region the patterns come from, the knot, the two fibers — and why the combination has become uncommon.

Çınar Halı and the Oushak inheritance

Oushak is a weaving region in western Anatolia and one of the oldest continuous centers of production in Türkiye.

From the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries onward it was known for three things: large medallion compositions that read from across a room, floral drawing that stays unhurried rather than crowding the field, and borders arranged in balanced bands. Those are the patterns the Harem Series works from. It does not reproduce them line for line — the drawing is rebuilt at a scale and in a palette that sits in a contemporary room, and the pattern work of Çınar Halı, a Turkish weaving house whose designs have been recognized in international competitions, is carried into each piece as design rather than as reproduction.

For the region as a whole, see Oushak rugs.

The Gördes knot

A knot tied around two warp threads instead of one.

The Gördes knot — the Turkish or symmetrical knot — loops each length of pile around a pair of warps and draws both ends up between them. It takes longer to tie than the asymmetrical alternative, and it seats the yarn firmly enough that the pile stands rather than leans. Two things follow. The surface packs denser, so the edge of a motif comes out sharp instead of feathered; and the rug holds its shape and its drawing across decades of use. Production that stays genuinely faithful to the technique is shrinking, which is much of the argument for this series.

Erzurum wool and Bursa silk

Two fibers, chosen for what they do to light.

Erzurum fleece wool is counted among the better wool sources in Türkiye. Taken from the first shearing, it separates from standard wool on three counts — luster, softness and resistance to wear — and it takes a dye deeper, which is why the grounds in this series hold color at close range instead of flattening out. On the silk-accented pieces, real Bursa silk is worked into the drawing itself rather than across the whole field. Silk reflects at a different angle from the wool beside it, so a motif carrying a silk highlight appears to lift slightly off the ground as you walk past it. Compare silk rugs for pieces where silk carries the whole surface.

Colors, sizes and where they belong

Cream and beige dominate, and every rug exists in a single size.

Harem SeriesŞahzade Series
Woven inTürkiye, by Çınar HalıAfghanistan
PileErzurum first-shear fleece wool, Bursa silk on some pieces100 percent wool
KnotSymmetrical Gördes knotDouble knot
PaletteCream, beige, brown, burgundyTurquoise, gray, navy, mink, brick red
AvailabilityNo longer producedIn production

Most pieces fall between about 150 × 224 cm (4'11" × 7'4") and 237 × 326 cm (7'9" × 10'8"), with a few narrow runners at 75 × 310 cm (2'6" × 10'2") and 83 × 261 cm (2'9" × 8'7"). Because each rug was woven once, a size is a specific rug rather than an option. The series was made for large reception rooms, executive offices, institutional interiors and residential projects. The Şahzade Series covers the same design instinct at a more moderate price.

Care

Specialist washing only.

A wool and silk pile tied at this density is cleaned by a washer who works on hand-knotted rugs and nothing else. A general cleaning service or a domestic washing machine is not suitable, and what either does to silk cannot be undone. Between washes: vacuum with the beater bar off and in the direction of the pile, rotate the rug twice a year, blot spills with a white cloth from the outside in, and keep the rug out of a full south-facing window.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Harem Series?

The Harem Series is a hand-knotted line woven for Halıcızade by Çınar Halı in Erzurum fleece wool and Bursa silk, tied with the symmetrical Gördes knot, in a contemporary reading of fifteenth-century Oushak drawing. The series is no longer in production.

What is an Oushak rug?

Oushak is a weaving region in western Anatolia, a center of production since the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, known for large medallion compositions, unhurried floral drawing and balanced multi-band borders. The Harem Series reworks those patterns rather than copying them.

What is the Gördes knot?

The Gördes knot, also called the Turkish or symmetrical knot, loops each length of pile around two warp threads instead of one. It is slower to tie and seats the yarn firmly, giving a denser surface, sharper motif edges and a rug that holds its shape for decades.

Why is Erzurum wool used?

Erzurum fleece wool, taken from the first shearing, is counted among the better wool sources in Türkiye for its luster, softness and resistance to wear. It behaves differently from standard wool under the hand and takes dye to a greater depth.

What does the Bursa silk do?

On the silk-accented pieces, real Bursa silk is worked into the drawing rather than across the whole field. The silk catches light at a different angle from the wool around it, so the motif appears to sit slightly above the ground as you move past it.

Where do Harem Series rugs belong?

The series was made for large rooms — reception rooms, executive offices, institutional interiors and residential projects. Sizes run from about 150 x 224 cm to 237 x 326 cm, with a few narrow runners, and each rug exists in one size only.

How is a Harem Series rug cleaned?

Only by a washer who specializes in hand-knotted rugs. A general cleaning service or a domestic washing machine is not suitable for a wool and silk pile tied at this density, and the damage they do to the silk is not reversible.

Related collections: Oushak rugs · hand-knotted rugs · silk rugs · the Special Collection