Konya prayer rug

Konya prayer rug
from central Turkey
circa 1850
Size: 132 x 111 cm

For devout Moslems, the prayer rug was often their most cherished possession. This beautiful old rug was made by villagers in the Taurus mountains south of Konya, the old Seljuk capital.
One traditional interpretation of the mihrab was as the gateway to heaven through which the worshipper must pass to enter paradise.
It was the sacred space upon which they prostrated themselves, facing Mecca, and prayed seeking a level of awareness in close contact with God five times a day.
For this rug, the beauty lies in its immediacy and simplicity, and perfect juxtaposition of striking primary colour.