How the sun-baked carpets of Antalya perfect their colours

Outside the coastal city of Antalya in southern Turkey, thousands of carpets and rugs are left exposed on the bare ground during the hot summer months (from June to September). This dries out the vegetable dyes in the fabric, which helps to achieve the desired colour.

The wool-knotted carpets arrive from all over Turkey to be washed, trimmed and left out to dry. The morning dew and the heat of the day soften the tones of the vegetable dyes, transforming them into attractive pastel shades.

Each year, up to 60,000 carpets and rugs are left to dry on a 100-acre site. Around 15,000 of them are stored side by side at a time for drying. Around 50 workers are required to turn over the carpets each day, and if it rains, 100 people from the local villages run to fold the carpets and take them to a shelter until it stops.

As soon as the carpets reach the required shade, most of them are transported to Istanbul's Grand Bazaar to be sold, with many of them exported to other countries.

This colourful display of carpets and rugs has become a tourist attraction, attracting visitors from many parts of the world.

When you purchase a new wool carpet from a flooring retailer in Chester and surrounding areas, there is no need to wash it and leave it out to dry in the garden. Modern wool carpets are manufactured with dyes that stay bright and don't fade over time, meaning you’ll get to enjoy their colourful appearance for longer.