Oriental Rugs Glossary

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Sumakh Kilim

Sumakh rugs are flat weave, therefore they belong to the family of Kilims. They are being named after the capital of the Shirvan district "Shemakha". The Sumakhs of Caucasian provenance become more and more rare and are hardly made anymore. The biggest difference to the "Slot"-Kilim is the technique of weaving. You can recognize it by the threads which are not cut close to the rug but hang down loose 5-10 cm. Since Kilims were used primarily in tents, Sumakhs were even more effective since they provided more isolation under the rug against wetness and cold. This technique also enables much finer patterns which come very close to the "normal" handknotted Oriental rug.