Rugs

Are you in the market for an authentic Turkish rug? If you go to a quality dealer, you won’t get a better price. You just have to get it home somehow. Mail it or bring it back with you.

In Morocco in early 2019, not on a RS tour, we asked our guide to take us to a reputable, reliable rug dealer. Our guide wasn’t in it for any commission, and it hadn’t been part of our itinerary. We got a great rug that was small enough to fold up and take home in a small duffel. We plan to hang it, rather than lay it on the floor. Haven’t had the opportunity to do that just yet, but we’ve got the rug when we do.

The vendors that the RS Best of Istanbul and Best of Turkey tours take you to will ship your rug to your home at no additional charge to you.

I hadn't planned to buy a rug when I went on my RS tours. At the vendor for my first tour, I wasn't tempted. On the 2nd tour, I saw a rug and loved it immediately. So I bought one.

I wouldn't buy one "just because" but rather because you find one that suits you and your budget.

I went on a tour of Turkey many years ago and the tour leader had our local guide take us to a reputable rug merchant. Several of the tour members bought rugs, some quite large and expensive. My budget was stretched just to get a small one (3x5), not silk just wool on a cotton backing, but just lovely. They shipped to my home and it arrived a couple of weeks after I returned home. 20 years later and it's still on my living room floor in front of my sofa, still in perfect condition, and every time I look at it I love it even more and it brings back memories of the tour. So if you see one you like and it's in your budget then yes, by all means buy one.

Nancy's experience is like mine. I took the RS Turkey tour 10 years ago. After an entertaining and educational visit to a rug factory in Cappadocia several of us were interested in buying and stayed behind and bought carpets and kilims. I bought an all-wool carpet for my living room and I love it every day. They had me sign the label on the back of the carpet so I'd be sure it was the one I chose. The price included shipping and customs duty. A few months later I had an insurance appraisal and the guy said I got a real bargain - very good quality and excellent price. Do bargain if you see something you like!

We took the fabulous Turkey tour Oct 14-28, 2023. Absolutely no regrets and plenty of amazing experiences. We experienced a presentation at the rug business in Capadoccia. It was a fun experience to learn about rugs and see the beautiful patterns while having some drinks (alcohol and non) and snacks. One realizes what will be coming if you show interest in buying. We had talked about buying a rug before the trip, so we were interested in looking at them. We bargained hard, but you could tell when they had hit rock bottom price. We bought a 6'x9' wool, hand-made rug that was supposedly on sale (half price! they said). It has bright stripes banded by a solid color. Thus, not a blatant Turkish pattern. We paid $2,500, which was a lot more than we wanted to pay. But, we do love it. The quality is apparent, it is a heavy weight, and it is beautifully made. We had signed the label and that is the one we received. We also received a "certificate" that says it is a genuine hand-made Turkish rug. Of the four people who bought rugs, here is how they came. The large rug purchased by a Manitoba resident was shipped. Our rug was personally delivered. It had been tightly wrapped in heavy duty vinyl. We had the opportunity to purchase more rugs from the van-load of them but we weren't interested and the Turkish fellows left. They were polite and low key. An expensive rug purchased by a Boise, ID traveler, received his delivered rug about 2 weeks later. A couple from San Antonio have finally heard from the rug delivery guy and they might receive it the first half of February. Apparently, the deliverer started in NY, had been in Florida, and was on the way to Alabama until he gets to TX. I really feel that we should have been given more information about this process. We asked, but the details were glossed over and we were exhausted with the process. Bottom line, be prepared to wait, but you will receive your rug. There are other comments about this process. Do your research.

I would definitely buy a rug!
I lived in Saudi Arabia for four years and brought home 8 or 9 rugs from there, but I still wish I had bought more!
When I first went to Turkey in 1986, I bought two rugs.
The vendor said he could ship them, and a young guy came out of the back of the shop, tied up the rugs in brown paper with just string, no tape.
I thought I might never see them again, but they arrived after three months, by mail, still with the string tied round them.
I’m sitting here with my feet on one of them right now, and it still looks brand new after being walked on daily for nearly 40 years.
They are a wonderful long lasting reminder of your trip.

Buy a nice one from a reputable store if you find one you like. RS and other guidebooks recommend Osman's in the Grand Bazaar. We visited there this past November - approximately 2 months after his (RS) last visit. Drop his name and you'll be treated right. Beautiful rugs!