villages situated around the plain which are all a part of Karapinar.
The villagers and some of the town's residents move to the mountains in the north during the summer to avoid the extreme heat. The villagers use their earth warmed roof houses to live in during the winter and in the summer months they move to live in their dark tents in the rugged terrain. They weave carpets in order to make a living and to protect and cover themselves. This region has been the center for commercially woven carpets due to the high quality of yarn, cheap labor and skill of women. Until recently, they have

been weaving carpets and kilims for themselves only.
The tulu carpets that we refer to be are of this category (non-commercially woven carpets).In our opinion, tulu carpets reflects the mysticism and regional archeology of the area. These carpets also exhibit the Greek influences of the past generations. The people of Karapinar are simple, quiet, and sensitive who live in near natural conditions.The necessary skills in order to survive the desert conditions had accumulated within them. The characteristics and intelligence

I have been in the trading business for selling and buying 'tulu' carpets for 17 years but my perception of them began only six years ago. I worked as a carpet salesman in Anatolia for most of my life. I have always had the excitement of a student each time I saw an Anatolian whether they be a man or a woman or from the Eastern or Western Anatolia. I was surprised by their intense knowledge. During tours of Karapınar (middle region of Anatolia) my son Mustafa and I discovered Tulu carpets. Mustafa was at the tender age of 13 so noticed the Tulu before I did.
Tulu is the English pronounciation for the Turkish word, 'tüylü' meaning hairy. The technique used for weaving is similar to that of the Middle and Western Anatolian carpets. The number of wefts is slightly more than that of the regional carpets and the yarn for tying is spun loose giving it a more warm, soft and piled look. Tulu carpets are woven in Karapınar which is to the east of Konya. This region is a half-desert like plain and to the north there are barren mountains. There are many ruins of ancient Anatolian civilizations dating back 7000 years. Till about 70-80 years ago the Turkoman villagers lived closely with the Greek villagers. Nature did not allow for much agriculture besides wheat and stock-breeding. There are about 30

of the people we mentioned above were so exaggerated by the other villagers in Konya that they became known as 'devils of the sand'.
To understand these people of the desert, you must pay attention to their austere expressions but discover their soft hearts by looking beyond their eyes. You must not mind their firm handshake but try to feel the warmth of their skin and catch them try to cover. Don't! Pay no attention to their arrogant looks but notice their speech and the simplicity of their way of producing, consuming and living which is extraordinary. This has been a very interesting adventure for me. Tulu's are the mirrors of these people. Tulus are woven without the thoughts of "Can I earn enough?" or "Will my boss like it?". They are woven by a woman who is weaving for someone she loves and admires and while weaving she transcendences all her thoughts and feelings to the tulu.
The tulus of Karapinar are woven to to reflect the wisdom and sensations which the weaver has matured in herself. Messages inside the carpet are sometimes clear and sometimes blurred.

But the message is always from a human being to yet another. The thing that is transferred to Tulu carpets is something that is inside us all -I hope everybody will notice- is love.
I will now try to tell you a bit about Karap_nar's or deserts spring time. It is easy to notice the coming of spring in the Black Sea or Mediterrenian regions. It can even be noticed by the deaf and the blind in these areas. But out at a desert there is hardly a difference between the winter and spring. In winter there is a gray and sparce growth. This growth is dry.
The earth is yellow in color. The yellow earth is covered with snow here and there. There are pale gray plants whose height won't exceed ten centimeters along with bluish gray plants which have just sprung from the earth measuring no more than one or two centimeters. One must be very sensious to notice all these yellow, gray, brown and blue tones.
What nature gives is restricted: grass, and water are all restricted. Within the framework of these limitations the Karapinar folk have mastered the art of coexisting with these limitations. And as others have done they have unified with their environment. And their simple and restricted expressions expect to be discovered just like the spring time.
In order to see and understand the tulus ones eyes have to be carefull or rather one has to be all eyes. I won't say anymore. I leave the rest to the tulus.