In the Presence of Seljuks

Every trip I make to Istanbul, I insist on visiting the Seljuks. Who are the Seljuks?…. Carpets, of course. The Seljuks that I visit are the 12th Century carpets in the beautiful Turkish and Islamic Art Museum.

The Seljuk Empire ruled over Anatolia (modern Turkey) from around the 11th century to the 13th century. The capital of the Empire was Iconium or modern day Konya. Three complete Seljuk rugs and five fragments were uncovered in the Konya Aleddin Mosque in 1905. How these rugs were discovered is fascinating in itself! You can read more about the discovery here on Tea and Carpets Blog.

In any event, whenever I am in Istanbul, I visit these wonderfully evocative carpets. I took these pictures myself without the use of a flash so things may be a bit dark. But hopefully you can sense some of the majesty these carpets inspire in me. For me, a visit to this museum is like a religious pilgrimage. Thanks for looking! Chris