Handmade wool on cotton, Karabag Kelim Wool on Cotton, in excellent condition. 
Handmade wool on cotton, Karabag Kelim Wool on Cotton, in excellent condition. 
 
KILIM RUGS of the World 
 
What are a Kilim rug and its history?  
 
Kilim rugs, Kelim rugs, Gelim rugs, or Gilim rugs are different spellings and pronunciations of floor covering or wall decoration under the flat-weave rugs family.  These masterpieces are considered the oldest human hand-woven floor covering with a history dating back thousands of years ago. These kilim rugs are made on a loom. The technique of making textiles using looms is believed to have originated thousands of years ago. The earliest known drawing of a loom is on a bowl from ancient Egypt dating back to 4,000 BC. Handmade rugs are still constructed on a loom using similar techniques from the past. Kilim rugs were mainly the work of tribal women, weaving symbols representing good health, fortune, protection, and tribal beliefs. Kilims are considered authentic works of tribal textile art which have expanded to the modern and contemporary style of today. These colorful lively handmade kilim rugs have brought warmth and life to different designs and home décor styles of a new age.   
 
How are Kilim Rugs Made and what is the material used in them? What makes a rug a Kilim? 
 
Kilim rug construction is simpler than hand-knotted Persian and oriental rugs. The simplest weaving structure is consisting of vertical warps which are mostly made from wool or cotton combined purely with successive passes of the horizontal weft which could be wool, cotton, linen, jute, hemp, or silk. The vertical warps are covered by combing and compressing the horizontal weft. Kilim weavers use different color yarns and dyes at their disposal and alternate multiple different weft colors to create their desirable pattern and color combination. The Kilim rug weavers would create designs belonging to the culture and the region where the kilim is crafted.   
 
Flat Weave Kilim Rugs 
 
Kilim rugs are made of simple interlocking wool or cotton yarn. Kilim rugs, Jajim rugs, Moj rugs, flat-weave rugs, and tapestry rugs have some commonalities in terms of construction. Patterns are created by horizontal wefts that cover the vertical warps. Flat-weave rugs unlike rugs do not have piles. The vertical warp fiber is the foundation and the horizontal weft fibers create the design by running across the loom horizontally. Kilim rugs or flat-weave rugs are woven by interlocking the warp and weft instead of the hand-knotting technique creating a flat type of rug without pile. 
 
Kilim Rugs are Used for Different Purposes   
 
Because of the nature of flat-weave rugs and kilim rugs historically they can be used in many different settings besides floor covering and wall hanging. Designers and craftsmen use Kilim rugs for Kilim Pillows, Kilim Ottoman, Clothing, Shelter, Storage, Bed Coverlets, Kilim Shoes, Kilim Boots, Kilim Bags, Kilim Sofas, Kilim Bathmat, Kilim Loveseats, Kilim Covered Bench, Kilim bench, Kilim Runner, Moroccan kilim Floor Pillows, Large Kilim Rugs, Kilim Area Rugs, and other decorative objects.  
 
Major Kilim Rug Producers 
 
Kilim rugs are decorative pile-less floor covering pieces without knotted fluffy piles. The word Kilim originated from today’s Turkey. Kilim rug weaving was adopted around the world as this art spread around the globe. Kilim rug makers and flat-weave rug weavers incorporated their own cultural elements, symbols, and colors to create distinct patterns and visions through these masterpieces, which carried these cultural elements through time to today’s age.  
Some of the major producers of kilim rugs is: Scandinavian Kilim, Balkans Kilim, Moroccan Kilim, Anatolia Kilim, Turkish Kilim, Oushak kilim, Konya Kilim, Caucasian Kilims, Turkoman kilim, Baluch Kilim, Persian Kilim, Kurdish Kilim, Bakhtiari Kilim, Ghashghai Kilim, Central Asia kilim, Afghanistan Kilim, Pakistan Kilim, Indian Kilim, and China Kilim. 
 
Fabrics used in Kilim rugs
 
Traditional Kilim rugs are mainly made from natural fibers including, wool, cotton, silk, hair, linen, jute, hemp, and other animal hair.
 
Modern Kilim, Modern Kilim rug makers use multiple fibers including synthetic fibers. Modern-day kilims are versatile in this color and design to serve a variety of purposes. 
 
Kilim Rugs Design, Patterns, Colors, and Style by Regions
 
Scandinavian countries developed their own techniques of rug weaving and Kilim rug weaving over time called Rollakans, which is related to flat weave rugs and Kilim rugs mostly in white, black, and gray and natural sheep color wool with geometric designs. Later they developed more sophisticated techniques called Rya, or shaggy knotted rugs.  
 
Moroccan Kilim Rugs 
 
Moroccan kilim rugs and Moroccan woven vintage kilim rugs have been decorating many homes around the United States and the globe. These kilim Moroccan rugs and Moroccan Berber kilim rugs have geometric designs with predominantly natural sheep wool colors, black Moroccan rugs, beige Moroccan Kilim Rugs, and Brown Moroccan Kilim Rugs. The geometric vintage Berber Moroccan rug, vintage Berber Moroccan area rug has been used in the living rooms and bedrooms of many households. Moroccan kilim rugs and Moroccan mosaic kilim rugs are some of the design and pattern variations. 
 
Persian Kilim Rugs
 
Persian Kilim, graphic patterning with diamond border, Zagros region from northwest of Persia to southwest of Persian, Bakhtiari kilim, Qashqai kilim, geometric kilim design and overall shield medallion designs, zig-zag border
 
Karabagh Rugs and Karabakh Kilim
 
Antique Karabagh rugs or Antique Karabakh rugs and kilims are very sought-after rugs by collectors and designers. Karabagh rug / Kilim, Karabagh also spelled Karabakh are handwoven in the district of Karabakh in today’s Armenian-controlled Azerbaijan, north of the present Iranian border. The old province of Karabagh lies to the north of the Aras River. As might be expected, Karabagh Kilim and rugs designs, and color schemes tend to be more like those of Persian rugs because of the proximity of the two countries. These Karabagh rugs resemble Persian designs and colors with flower ornaments and more traditional designs, whereas the others are more closely related to Caucasian rugs with Geometric patterns.