DEATH KILIMS İN DENIZLI CAMELI REGION

Abstract

Çameli district, formerly known as Karaman, is located in the north-east of Denizli. Çameli is in a land structure with a plateau character. It is located on the migration route of Fethiye Yoruks. Denizli Çameli people have been interested in kilim production and trade in addition to making a living with animal husbandry. Kilim is a lint-free weft-faced weaving made with two yarn systems, warp and weft, where the warp sare completely hidden by the wefts. In 2020, Çameli kilims were included in the geographical indication. In Denizli Çameli district, the funeral is wrapped in a kilim and carried in coffins called rafts. After the funeral, these kilims are donated to the mosque. These kilims, which are called wrap kilims, after life or death-life weaving and used in funeral ceremonies in Anatolia, are called mortal kilims in Denizli Çameli district. In the Çameli region, death kilims are woven on the Istar loom and the shuttle loom. The death kilims examine dare 140-274 cm in width and 162-330 cm in length, and have a transverse banded composition scheme. Bıtıracık, pardı, four eyes, nine eyes, shuttle, butterfly, coach horn are among the burns seen in death kilim samples. As a result of the study, it was determined that this tradition continued in the region by wrapping the funerals in kilims until 5 years ago, and it has been completely abandoned today. Kilim weaving is tried to be kept alive in some neighborhoods of Çameli district. In this study, 21 death rug samples with kilim and cicim weaving techniques were examined in terms of weaving technique, material used, color, motif and composition, in the field research carried out in the Çameli region in 2019.