Turkey has a rug-making tradition as old as Persia's. Turkish rugs are mainly based on geometric motifs, frequently of a prayer niche design. The colors most frequently used are red and blue. Green, their sacred color, is used on prayer rugs. There are four types of Turkish rugs; they are classified according to the materials used. The categories include: Silk on silk, Wool on cotton, Wool on wool, Viscose on cotton, Kilims, Tulu, and Anatolian Turkish Rugs.

Rug weaving in Anatolia first began with the arrival of the Turkish tribes from Central Asia, who settled in this region. Therefore, Anatolian rugs form a branch of ethnic Turkish rugs. Some of the oldest examples known are the eighteen surviving pieces woven by the Selcuk Turks in the 13th century. The motifs in these pieces represented in stylized floral and geometrical patterns in several basic colors and were women in Sivas, Kayseri and the capital Konya.

The art of rug weaving which began with the Selcuks continued with the Ottoman Turks. After the Selcuk Turks and before the Ottomans (during the transition period in the 14th century) animal figures began to appear on the rugs. Although very few of these exist today, they can be seen in the paintings of famous Italian, French, Dutch and Flemish painters. Due to the animal figures on these rugs, they are referred to as "Rugs with Animals".

By the 15th century, there was a wider variety of animal motifs on the Turkish rugs. A new group of rugs with a combination of animal motifs and geometrical patterns appeared around this time. These rugs were called " Holbein Rugs " since they appear in paintings by the German artist Hans Holbein. The design and colors would have been determined by the palace artists and then sent to the weaving centers. this method was similar to that used in the ceramic tile production of that period. The designs, which consisted of twisting branches, leaves, and flowers such as tulip, carnations and hyacinths, are woven in a naturalistic style and establish the basic composition of the rug. This style was continued in other regions and can be seen in Turkish rugs today.

For a complete look at the hundreds of area rugs in our full inventory of over 20,000, please visit eRugGallery.com.