purchasing a carpet

[ULuv2Travel2]

I am looking for some information from anyone who has recently returned from eastern mediterranean and purchased a carpet.

 

What port did you purchase it in?

 

What size?

 

What price did you end up paying?

 

How did it get shipped back/cost?

[brucedodge]

I am looking for some information from anyone who has recently returned from eastern mediterranean and purchased a carpet. What port did you purchase it in? What size? What price did you end up paying? How did it get shipped back/cost?

 

Love2Travel,

 

I think webegone has given a very thorough response, and certainly had done her research in advance.

 

My wife and I love oriental carpets, and have bought many over the years. Though we had no intention to do so, we bought 2 in Kusadesi last October. We purchased them from Turkmen Carpet, which I believe is the largest wholesaler in Turkey. They have a shop quite close to the port, but their main place is a few miles north on the highway to Ephesus.

 

Price is a tough question to answer. We paid considerably more than webegone, but ours are larger, and of very high quality (one is all silk). They included shipping, and the carpets are shipped to their offices in NYC, and then FEDEXed to your home.

 

This is by no means a promotion of Turkmen Carpet, just another perspective for you.

 

Shopping for carpets is great fun (for us), and similar to other objects of art, if you like it, that's the best criteria. Our most fun experience was buying a couple of carpets in a large attic in Srinegar, Kashmir.

 

Have fun,

 

Bruce

[MVPinBoynton]

Love2Travel,

 

I think webegone has given a very thorough response, and certainly had done her research in advance.

 

My wife and I love oriental carpets, and have bought many over the years. Though we had no intention to do so, we bought 2 in Kusadesi last October. We purchased them from Turkmen Carpet, which I believe is the largest wholesaler in Turkey. They have a shop quite close to the port, but their main place is a few miles north on the highway to Ephesus.

 

Price is a tough question to answer. We paid considerably more than webegone, but ours are larger, and of very high quality (one is all silk). They included shipping, and the carpets are shipped to their offices in NYC, and then FEDEXed to your home.

 

This is by no means a promotion of Turkmen Carpet, just another perspective for you.

 

Shopping for carpets is great fun (for us), and similar to other objects of art, if you like it, that's the best criteria. Our most fun experience was buying a couple of carpets in a large attic in Srinegar, Kashmir.

 

We also went to Turkmen. Quite lovely carpets there. Of course we liked the silk on silk best, but they were quite pricey and probably worth it. Since we really only wanted a small one for a wall hanging, we decided to pass. While going through the market in Kusadasi, I found one that worded for what I wanted to do. There are carpets everywhere.

[GrandmaHofmann]

We bought our Hereke runner from the National Handicraft place in Istanbul. Hereke are the best rugs, and they weave in the word Hereke on one corner to make sure you are getting what you paid for. I think it was about $3000 delivered to our home. I guess it is about 3 x 15 feet long. Every year the National Handicraft whatever sends a team of men to the USA and they call people who have bought a rug from them before. So a year after we bought the Hereke we also bought a 10x12 Kayseri and a 4x6 whatever. Don't remember.

We saw so many rugs in Istanbul but felt safe buying from the National Handicraft place as they have certain requirements of the rugs and fully documented everything. On price-- some people bought rugs for a couple hundred dollars and thought they were investments. They are not. You can get them at Walmart. If you buy, buy from someone reputable.

[smeyer418]

We were in Istanbul a couple of years ago. We had determined to answer that we were Canadian not Americans but on our first night in town, we always try our best to stay up late to help with the time zone adjustments. So after dinner at a kabap place we were walking up the street and a tout asked us where we were from, we said New York(so much for being Canadian)...he said do you know Brooklyn- we said we live in Brooklyn, he said do you know Atlantic Avenue- we live three blocks from Atlantic Avenue- he said do you know a store called x My wife says that is around the corner from where she works. he says that is my brother's store. They were very nice gave us tea allowed us to watch as others bought(and negotiated for) rugs... entertainment. We saw them sell many rugs. they told us what to do for sightseeing. When we went back to Istanbul after the country side touring...we bought two small rugs they are hanging in the hall. He contacts me about once a year....

[Keith1010]

You should post this on the European Ports Of Call section which is the one that includes places such as Turkey.

 

Keith