Sultanhany, Turkey, May 12--Worn-out antique carpets from the United States, Germany, England, France and Italy find new life in the Aksaray district of Sultanhany, Turkey, according to the Turkish Daily News.
Sultanhany Mayor Seyit Temel told an Anatolia news agency reporter that the people of Sultanhany used to earn a living from carpets until recently, when lower-quality, inexpensive carpets from the Far East flooded the market and the pieces from Sultanhany lost their popularity.
The residents then turned to repairing carpets and rugs. "There's practically no carpet making in the region anymore, so everyone started repairing carpets instead, Carpets that need repairing come from the United States, Germany, Belgium, France and Italy and take days to be completed. Sultanhany has become the world's foremost carpet repair center, especially for repairs that need fine work and alterations," Temel said.
He said this repair center helps keep down unemployment rates in the region and estimated that 90 percent of the residents were in the business. Repairs can take up to two years.
Enver Sary, owner of the Sultanhany Haly company, said his firm worked with many European countries and that their customers knew Sultanhany very well.
Sary said the carpets that were sent to them were priceless antiques and most had sentimental value. "The carpets that come to us are studied in detail and then repaired. The length of maintenance and repair can vary. It can take from a couple of days to two years, depending on the condition and how worn it is. Customers from abroad are most interested in the quality of the work rather than the cost of repairs.
"Our work is secure. No one except employees can enter the work area. The owner of the carpet and his location is kept a secret," said Sary. "Children can work part-time as apprentices. After acquiring some skills and proving themselves they start repairing silk carpets. Our income from repairs is quite high."
