ALIORE, Worldwide Workshops - Carpet weaving week in Turkey

Carpet weaving week in Turkey:

Come for a week to learn how to weave a Turkish way of hand made carpet and experience the real Turkish life of villagers !
Spend your holiday away from tourist spots with nomadic villagers who will welcome you with a warm hospitality

Dates: The Courses are run all year round for individuals and small groups.

Location : Gokpinar is an old , nomadic village with a population of 100. Located on the Aegean Coast of Turkey, it is away from areas with heavy tourist traffic and only 10 minutes drive from a lovely beach.
The land sits at the edge of the village, on a scenic hilltop with views of all the landscape for miles around the village.

Programme : It is believed the nomadic tribes of Turkey were the founders of carpet making.
Turkish carpets are a hand made double knotted pieces with cut pile, and are made still in a traditional manner of hand knotting on a loom, with natural dyes and materials. Carpets are still used as wall and floor coverings in tents and homes. Every pattern and symbol upon a carpet has a meaning or tells a story. Pieces often reflect the hopes and desires of the women who created the carpet.
Traditionally it is women who make carpets. Entire villages of women collect together to prepare the materials. The material is hand spun by the local women and then dyed with local plants i.e. walnut shells\pomegranate, which have been boiled in huge kettles to create the dye. The textile is then dried naturally on lines in the sun, it is then ready to be transformed into the beautiful carpets and kilims we treasure today. A 135 cm by 90 cm wool on cotton carpet takes one women approximately two months to complete. Carpets, Kilims and other pieces have all got a practical use. Carpets were used as coverings for tent floors, walls and doorways. Carpets also add colour and warmth to a room, they are still one of the most effective ways used, to protect us from the cold and damp today.
Villagers will teach you step by step how to weave natural dyed hand made carpets.

Accommodation : You will be accommodated in a guest house, newly redecorated. Its life & foundation is as a traditional village house. Here, are provided 6 bright, airy bedrooms, sharing 2 bathrooms (providing 24-hour hot water service!). Guests are also offered additional shower & bathroom facilities in the garden area. The comfortable, airy guest rooms have great views of the countryside. Rooms are decorated in Turkish style, with kilims created locally covering floors and walls. Double and single beds are available.
The land surrounding this hilltop house has spectacular views, and the tree houses and garden rooms are ideal for a great sleep in the natural delights of the Turkish countryside.

Tariff : 795 € for 1 week, per person, double occupancy
The week includes:
- 7 Nights accommodation in a double room (Single Room Supplement: 105€)
- All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
- All hot drinks
- Airport transfers from and to Bodrum International Airport
- Carpet weaving classes everyday by local women
- 1 Day Cruise on a Gulet boat
- Beach trips
- Membership fee

Non coursers and children are welcome at discounted rates!

The fees DO NOT include international flights & travel insurance!

TRAVEL INFORMATION:
The international Bodrum/Milas airport is 30 minutes drive away from Gokpinar.
There are charter flights between May / October from Europe & UK Turkish airlines fly all year around to Bodrum via Istanbul .
Their web site: www.turkishairlines.com

You want to know more or to know how to enrol ? Contact us!