DOBAG (The Natural Dye Research and Development Project) set in motion a revolution in Turkish carpet weaving. Harald Böhmer, a German teacher at the Alman Lisesi in Istanbul, became obsessed with the ancient art of dyeing, and he and a team of experts from Marmara University led by Şerife Atlıhan pioneered the reintroduction of traditional carpet weaving to villages on the Aegean. Decades of fine carpet weaving ensued, using the best sheep’s wool sheered in spring. Sadly we have lost Böhmer, and Turkish carpet weaving is literally dying out unable to compete with Far Eastern production. Once a year a Dobag rugs are sold in a textile jamboree in the Crimean Church in Istanbul. Don’t miss the opportunity. This may be the last.
Issue 66, December 2023
Turkey’s Centenary Issue
