Million-dollar carpet watch begins in fields

Nearly 15,000 hand-woven carpets and rugs from all over Türkiye and abroad are being laid out on wheat fields in Döşemealtı district of Antalya to be restored and disinfected from microbes. Land owners keep watch until dawn to protect the million-dollar rugs from theft, rain, and damage by wild animals. In some neighborhoods of Döşemealtı district in Antalya, agricultural lands are used for wheat cultivation in winter and carpet businesses in summer. Land owners or businesses first repair carpets and rugs, some over 50 years old, then place them in sterile pools to disinfect. After repair and sterilization, carpets are laid out in the sun to fade their colors and turn them pastel. Million-dollar carpets and rugs are turned at specific intervals to ensure proper moisture and heat absorption and color tone stabilization. Transforming the area into a "carpet field", these hand-woven carpets and rugs create a full color spectacle and are returned to their owners after being ...