Syrian Kurdish Kelims: An Open House Exhibition at BEYt and Zawal

In the Kurdish part of the Aleppo area, and spilling slightly into Turkey, some of the most eccentric kelims used to be produced – and were still in general use – until the 1970s.

They were made by village women for local, domestic use, and served as floor rugs, bed and cradle covers as well as curtains or room dividers, often for ceremonial purposes, like weddings or New Year.

Ranging from the plain bold and vibrant to the subtle and sophisticated they became known only in the late 1990ies as Afrini kelims – the name simply referring to their region of produce – when they began to appear in the markets of Aleppo and later Damascus.

Luxuriating in orange, indigo, aubergine, leafy green and reed red colours they reflect the great beauty and character of the northern Syrian landscape, Afrin, and the people, bound to that land, who once weaved them.

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