Weavings that Speak to the Mountain Winds

The Taurus mountains, the name of which means “the bull”, extend for many kilometers in a parallel along the Mediterranean sea. They create a rare geography separating the sea and the steppes, in the meantime creating their own climate also. While snow is falling upon the mountains, people swim in the sea in the seaside resorts. Their tablelands have hosted nomadic tribes for hundreds of years. Weaving their carpets and kilims out of the hair of their goats, these people climb up to the cool tablelands in summer and move back down towards the seaside to pass the winter. Here we shall first follow their route of Karaman – Mut – Silifke – Erdemli, and then we’ll drift far away to Babadag in another part of the Taurus mountains, flying down with a paraglider to the sea of Ölüdeniz in Fethiye.

The mountains make their own rules and tell their own stories with rocks, cliffs, and tales. They toughen up the people they embrace to give them the strength to survive. As cities were built, people came down from the mountains. They sold away their horses, camels, goats. Sitting in front of their TV sets, they started to forget their traditions. The footprints of their ancestors were blown away by the wind, covered over by the snow. There are but a few migrating communities left on the Taurus mountains that still follow the route. One of them, still keeping up with the migrations with their camels in tow, are the Sarikeçili people…

They travel over the Taurus hills, loading their belongings upon camels and herding their goats. They set up black tents woven with animal hair where they arrive. They pull their colorful motley sacks down the humps of their camels, spread their “horsecloths of fate” inside their tents. They stack their blankets on top of each other. They have their pots, basins, teapots, felts, and saddlebags with them. The tents of the Sarikeçili people have five poles. They set out of the Karaman county of Konya in autumn, pass over the Taurus mountains, get down to Silifke and Erdemli on the Mediterranean coast, and pass the winter there. In spring, the same journey restarts backwards.

The language of the mountains…

The nomads have interpreted words out of nature’s language making use of the fires they build under the Milkyway, the frosts of the mountains, the whisper of the wind, the moss on the rocks, and the way the goats lie for rest. A shooting star in the sky in September or October, for instance, informs them about a harsh winter to come. They don’t fancy storms and winds much. There are many traces in their lives from the Shamanic faith of their forefathers who had immigrated here from the Middle Asia. The Yakuts and the Altaians used to believe that the wind brought sickness.

Nomadic women perform their weavings on a loom called the “istar”. A nomadic woman stuffs her goat’s hair and sheep’s wool into the black sack, her provisions into the white sack, and her clothes into the motley sack that she weaves herself. The wool and hair of sheep and goats are sheared twice, first in June and then in September-October. The shaven animal is kept indoors for a couple of days to protect it from catching cold. The nomads call the spring wool as “yapagi”. The wool is flung with the help of a “yay” and then cleaned. Either a “kirmen” or a wheel is used for spinning. Nomadic women wind the wool around their arms during spinning.  

The yarn ready for dyeing is wound into a ball. Red, green, white, brown, and black are the favored colors around Mut, Anamur, and Silifke. Among the techniques of cicim and zili, the latter is applied more frequently. Along the borders of these we see motifs with names like “gelin çatlatan, ala kurt, küstü, tazi kuyrugu, boynu egri” which have meanings approximately like “spite-the-bride, motley wolf, vexed, greyhound’s tail, craned neck”. In the background we see motifs like “eli belinde, yar yare küstü, turunç, boncuk, saksagan, keklik ayagi” which approximately mean “arms akimbo, lovers miffed, Seville orange, bead, magpie, thyme’s claw”. Weavings are described according to the motif names: “Direkli çul, sari çatma kilim, dösek çulu, sari zili, yelekli çul” which approximately mean “poled cloth, yellow propped kilim, mattress cloth, yellow zili, vested cloth”. Motifs in the shape of baklava slices are given the majority in these weavings. The sides are adorned with hook motifs. Besides carpets and kilims, the nomadic women weave saddlebags, floor coverings, tablecloths, bags, cushions, and camel cloths. Camel cloths are made to be spread over the camel’s back, not just to facilitate loading, but also for protection when the camel sweats. Saddlebags are woven with the kilim technique while sacks are made with the zili, sumak, kilim techniques or a combination of kilim and zili. Kilims also take different names with their motifs like “Mor Ayak”, “Yürek Üstü” (“Purple Feet”, “Over the Heart”). The saddlebags of goat’s hair, kilims, and cloths woven in the Haciahmetli village of Mut carry the characteristics of the region with their colors, patterns and weaving techniques. The white frills needleworked by girls and women in the villages of Mut are also quite famous.

Like a historical novel…

If you are a traveler in your car, headed on the asphalt road to the point where the nomads arrive after passing over the mountains, then your are on one of the most beautiful roads in Turkey. After setting out from Karaman and going through the Sertavul pass, you will see the signpost for Alahan at a point 20 km before Mut. Your car will climb the winding road and take you to the Alahan convent after 3 kilometers. If you look down at the valley through the greyness spreading over the sky after a rain, you will see the magnificience of the whole geography. The baptising chamber, monks’ chambers, and Byzantian graveyards of the convent that is estimated to have been built between the 5-6th centuries stand erect in defiance of time and the destructive effect of humankind. Alahan resembles the places described in Umberto Eco’s novels. The inscriptions stand like keywords to a past waiting to be deciphered.

The river of Göksu travels with you along the rest of the way to Silifke, passing through canyons on its route. Like its name which reflects the love between the sky and water, the river lies on the map like a child left in the bosom of the Mediterranean.

You can visit the ruins of Uzuncaburç, or those of Olba with its name from the antique era, in Silifke. If you set out from Silifke to Erdemli, you arrive in Narlikuyu after 23 km. You can see right away the signs pointing to the caves of Cennet-Cehennem, and to the cave of Dilek which is recommended for the asthmatic. Subterranean rivers ate through the layers of lime for tens of thousands of years, causing the roofs to cave in and form these caverns. These formations handed over to us by geological conditions and erosions are among the hiding locations of the very first Christians. The cave-in of Cennet was named as the cave of Korikos in the antique era, and it is a miracle of nature made of rocky caverns. A staired path takes you down into its depth of 70 meters. It is filled with trees and flowers, and the ruins of a Byzantian church lie to the northeast of the huge formation. One can imagine the fear-stricken faces of the people staring at the pit during the rituals once held in here. The expressions on their faces are lost inside the pit of Cehennem, swirling into the oblivion of dark times. As it is immensely difficult and dangerous to climb down into the depth of 120 meters, you content yourself with standing at the pit’s rim and listening to the sounds of the water flowing deep down there. The sounds coming from the depths bring to mind the mythological river of Styx, and the roar of the water blends into the screams of people thrown in here for their sins.

The most striking structure on your route is the Kizkalesi. Erected to protect the ancient city of Korykos against foes, the fortress brings us face to face with a heavenly scenery. It also has a tale: Once upon a time a king prayed to God for a daughter. His wish was granted. The daughter grew up. One day he demanded to learn about his daughter’s future from one of the soothsayers visiting the city. The soothsayer said that a snake would bite and kill his daughter. The king had the Kizkalesi built then. The daughter lived in this fortress like a prisoner for years, but one day a snake emerged out of a basket of grapes sent for her and killed her.

Fethiye…

Where does one start telling about a town of lights like Fethiye? From the antique eras when it was called Telmessos and devoted to Apollon, or from its islands spread like giant seashells over the Mediterranean sea? From its pine scents or from the bay of Belcekiz? From the intoxicating blue of the sea of Ölüdeniz? The magical quiet of the Valley of Butterflies?

Let us start with the bells jingling along with the goats of the nomads climbing down from Karabel. The migrating Turkmens coming from the Middle Asia in 1103 and reaching the Aegean shores settled down in Fethiye, too. In Fethiye that stands like a pebble from the times of Lykia at the Mediterranean coast, all villages reserved a tableland for themselves. People of the shore trying to get away from the heat of summer climb up to the cool tablelands with the arrival of June. The longest route is between 80 – 100 kilometers, extending between Fethiye and the plateaux of Seki to the east of Karabel. Among such migrants, the villagers of Gökben have it announced by the town-crier in Fethiye when they are to set out on the road. Before the march starts, the camels’ packsaddles, the donkeys’ mounts, mattresses and blankets, and the saddle girths are checked out. Bells are hung on the camels, sheep, goats. Laundry gets washed collectively at the waterside. Provisions are prepared for the road. Dough wafers, fermented breads with black cumin are baked.

The day of departure…

On the morning of that day teenager girls have worn their colorful clothes, and boys have shaven and cleaned themselves. The march does not start in the morning, because the warm bodies of the animals will be caught raw and the condition will exhaust them out. In the evening the whole village finishes loading the camels’ packsaddles. The luggage is wrapped up and the march starts. At the exit of the village they stop by and say prayers. This is a great event of united efforts where everybody helps each other out. Those who see them march by say, “Let your tablelands be full of grass and your flock be fertile.” The procession gives pauses next to locations of fresh water. There must be enclosed shelters in these locations in case it rains. When they reach these places they heat their ovens, blow their flutes, boil their milk, settle the camels down, distribute food and share it, and then go to sleep early. They will set back out on the road at twilight the next morning.At some shelters they stay for a few days. They hang swings on the branches of pine trees, sacrifice livestock, play games. The whole event of migration turns into a big fair. They keep traveling and sometimes go through difficult passages. Scents of flowers fill their noses as they draw closer to the tablelands. First steps are taken towards a life that will go on for months in the tablelands. In a few days weaving looms are going to be set up.

“Rock Carpet”…

Nomadic tradition was kept alive around Fethiye until the recent years, but the mighty rise of the trend of tourism has pulled the nomads into the modern way of life, too. Some of the Fethiye villagers belong to the nomads of Avsar and Karakoyunlu. The former name of the town was Megri, so the women of Fethiye used to weave a kind of carpet that was called a Megri or Makri carpet. We do not have an intact sample that has survived to our day, but it is known to have existed according to records and some remaining pieces. These carpets were decorated with geometrical patterns and plant motifs. They had a color configuration built upon the union of contrasting colors. Red, black, and blue were used frequently.

There is a group of carpets woven in Fethiye today called the “rock carpet”. They have medallion patterns and they represent a new form of carpets. Their motifs carry traces from the classical Ottoman carpets and Usak carpets. There are also traces of some forms demanded by certain foreign companies that had come to Anatolia during the pre-republic years. The weavings in the area resemble those in Mut and Silifke like close relatives. The kilims are woven with the technique of loop configuration. Rhomboids made of little squares and square motifs are prominently used for weavings like prayer rugs and sofa covering kilims. According to Bekir Deniz who has carried out many researches upon Anatolian weavings, what we see in this region are “Kilims of two pieces also, characteristically red, blue, green, brown, and white in color, resembling the kilims of Aydin and woven mostly by nomadic people today.”

Children of the wind…

Fethiye is known for its extraordinary beauties of nature and history more than for its carpets today. The sea of Ölüdeniz has been taking its place in the photographs for many years as the scenery that introduces Fethiye to the world. If you lean upon the golden beach of Ölüdeniz one day, you can watch the paragliders of many colors raining down the sky and the children of the wind that blow life into them, from the early morning hours until the sunset is well under way. Having started for the first time with a Frenchman flying the 2000 meters of height from the top of mount Babadag, this adventure goes on with the paragliders swelling in number every day and the tourists coming to Ölüdeniz just for this experience.

Before the whole thing was transformed into a widespread branch of sports, this parachute used to be just an equipment to facilitate descent for the mountain climbers after difficult climbs, and it gains a totally different meaning in Ölüdeniz. A few minutes after you let yourself go with the wind, the slope and rocks of mount Babadag disappears from below you and there emerges a giant blue bowl full of wet emeralds! This bowl places the Belcekiz, the Valley of Butterflies, the Island of Gemile, and the legendary beauties of Lykia right under your feet. Those who go through this experience feel like they have just emerged out of a dream even a long time after they have landed.

Islands in the dark…

Those who wish to go to the Gemiler island which is the stop for touring yatchs, or to the island of Karacaören next to it, can rent a boat from the harbor. Before you start out on this route, you should climb the stairs to the mausoleum of King Amyntas carved into a block of rock in the town’s centrum and take a look at the town from above.

As we mention the islands, we should also include the bunch called the Twelve Islands or the Karanlikiçi islands, for these are the locations where the daily boat trips -one of which the tourists of Fethiye are fairly sure to attend- have their passengers embrace the blue waters. It is possible to visit the antique city of Lydae up on the hill, to have a perfect feast with a meal of fish, and feel the coolness in the waters that used to bathe Cleopatra, too, in the Sunken Bath, on a route extending from the Tersane island to the Pig’s island.

The canyon of Saklikent…

Fethiye is like a host that offers various dishes to her guests. If it was not enough to have thrown yourself into the sea to get rid of excess heat, then the cool interior of a canyon of 13 kilometers with a flow of cold water trailing along is waiting for you. After a few kilometers, this corridor becomes a challenge even for mountain climbers and canyon fans. You can go to Saklikent by the Fethiye-Antalya highway. After Kemer you take a turn as indicated on the signpost for Saklikent, and 21 km after passing the junction for Tlos, you reach the canyon in the village of Kayadibi. The signpost for Tlos has been squeezed between the signboards of the grocery and other shops, so it needs an effort to be seen. Saklikent is 50 kilometers away from Fethiye. There is no settlement inside it, but there can be large crowds gathered at its entrance. These people walk into the canyon beside the thin stream of ice-cold water flowing along for a few kilometers. Then they return to the wooden balconies settled right over the mass of water and rest upon sofas covered with kilims. The roar of the | flowing water provides such a relaxing influence that there’s no need to be surprised at the ease with which the meal of trout in your plate vanishes.

13 km after the turning point from Kemer we have an attractive Lykian town: Tlos… Its fortress is suitable for a climb on foot, and when you get there walking among rock tombs and sarcophagi, you can look down to see the extent of a fertile plain. Fans of history can seek the winged horse Pegasus in Tlos. If you do not know Pegasus, one of the children walking around offering guidance to the tourists inside the antique city can tell you the story. Pegasus awaits the followers of mythology where it has been carved into the monument also known as the tomb of Bellerophontes. Just the way the weavings of Fethiye await their own devotees even if they cannot fly like the winged horse of the tales...