Beledi Weaving

Woven today only in the County of Tire of Izmir, beledi weaving is known to have been produced as ‘veledi’ in Konya and as ‘beledi’ in Bursa and Manisa and it is known as ‘karaoğlan dimisi’ in the other regions where it is produced.

Beledi weaving is a two-fold weaving with silk and cotton. The two faces of the fabric are bound together with patterns.

The most important features of this weaving are its durability and the structure of the workbench. The workbench used for beledi weaving is 3 m-high and 3-m long. 

In general, beledi weavings are made up of floral motifs in a geometric organization and borders and frames ornamented with rosettes, gülbezek, dovetails, braids and kufi scripts. Notable motifs are ‘almond’, ‘box’, ‘celepiş’, ‘mirror’ and ‘star’.

Beledi weaving generally appears in two types of surface composition.

The first of these is the surface composition comprising consecutive or successive repetition of a motif and used for the surfaces of drapes, upholstery, bed linens and counterpanes.

The latter surface composition is made up of the concurrent use of multiple motifs in special forms.

Beledi weaving works are two-fold and sometimes, double-sided.

Single-sided weaving works have a white backside. The colours commonly used in these weaving works are red, blue, green, black, beige, golden yellow, purple and white.

The base of the weaving is dominated by dark colours, while motifs are ornamented with light colours.

Today, beledi weaving is only produced in Tire. 

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