MILAS (MELAS)
Milas carpets and rugs are Turkish carpets
and rugs that bear characteristics proper to
the district of Milas in southwestern Turkey,
within the Muğla Province. The variants within
the category of Milas rugs can be called such
names as Ada Milas, Patlıcanlı, Cıngıllı Cafer,
Gemisuyu, Elikoynunda et cetera.
As a group Turkish rugs are gennerally made
very much the same. Milas rugs however may
exhibit a variation in the number of wefts (2 - 4)
that is unusual. Knot counts range from 30 to
60 kpsi. In Oriental Carpets Ulrich Schurmann
suggest that in Melas rugs made before 1870
we should look for the use of Cochineal. This
ranges from a purple brown up to a hint of
violet. Turkish rugs are a fairly homogeneous
lot. One area where Milas rugs stand out is in
the use of yellow and the use of red wefts. Of
all Turkish ruigs when you see extravagent use
of yellow think Milas first. Sizes tend to be small
up to about 6 meters (70 sq. ft.)
