26/05/2022
History of The Muslim Prayer Rug
It all began with the Prophet Mohammed, who prayed on a “khumrah”, a mat made of palm fronds. The five daily prayers must be conducted on a clean surface, and so the prayer mat serves that purpose and must be always kept clean itself.
Although carpet weaving originated in Central Asia more than 2,000 years ago, it was the Islamic culture that turned it into an art form. Carpets were something to walk on, sit on, sleep on, and yes, pray on.
Appearing early in Islamic history, the most common and basic design almost looks like a door to heaven.
The rug is in the shape of a vertical rectangle, with a woven arched doorway, a “mihrab”, an ornamental niche in the wall of a mosque, which marks the direction of the qibla, which is the Kaaba in Mecca. Muslims pray in the direction of the qibla.
From a pointed arch supported by columns on either side to a variation of a stylized “tree of life” design, there have been many creative improvisations added over the decades by different artisans and weavers.
Muslim carpets have been traditionally produced for centuries in Muslim majority regions, sometimes known as “the rug belt,” spanning from Morocco to Central Asia and northern India.
Under the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal dynasties, the industry flourished and carpets came to be considered as national treasures.
They were traded to Europe and the Far East, often considered too precious to be prayed on and would end up being hung like a painting in a home or palace.
Weavers competed to make the most beautiful prayer rugs, and the different tribes or groups would work hard at making the most memorable creation.
The role of Turkish rugs as trade goods of high value and prestigious collectibles is documented in the merchant accreditations, vigesimal accounts, municipal and church annals as well as individual contracts and wills, archived in the Transylvanian towns.
The municipalities and other institutions of the Saxon towns, persons of nobility, and public influence, as well as citizens, were owners of Ottoman rugs.
The towns acquired Turkish rugs either as customs duty paid in like, or purchased rugs from the trade. Rugs were frequently offered to public persons as a gift of honor.
Islamic carpets have been popular for centuries in Europe and beyond, often picking up symbolism, social meaning and ways of being used.
Islamic carpets were popular among the wealthy of Europe, displayed proudly on the floor of their living rooms and on the walls.
