Kilims and Carpets in Kayseri

Like so many cities and towns in Turkey, Kayseri has a deep and varying history. It was once capital of the Hittite empire, and was later renamed Caesarea under the Romans. It came under Arab rule, then Mongol, and ultimately was taken over by the Ottomans. That kind of past is the reason you’re never quite sure what you’re looking at, and so must lean on your friendly tour guide for information. Our guide’s name is Semih (Sammy).

The citadel walls of this city are beautiful – made of black volcanic stone at the order of Emperor Justinian – and are largely intact, having withstood the elements for centuries (volcanic stone house, anyone?).

We walked around to admire these walls and eventually found ourselves inside the bazaar. We had been told Kayseri is the place in Turkey to buy carpets. Personally I was in no market for carpets, so had chosen to wander through the meandering halls of the bazaar when I heard my name being called out (how odd is that?) and turned to find a Turkish man with a cell phone running up behind me. I could tell by his smile that this was no emergency. He said “my friends” had told him I was interested in looking at his carpets. I followed, and spent the next 15 minutes trying to get out of his shop. The guidebook says the carpet salesmen in Kayseri can be aggressive, and this man was keeping them true to their word. Every member of our group ended up in that little carpet corner of the huge bazaar by one means or another, like disinterested clientele at a time share pitch.

We ended our time in Kayseri by visiting the decaying but beautiful Armenian Church. This was by special arrangement and not the normal tourist fare. The courtyard outside the church is surrounded by a wall and is serene and peaceful. Inside the building you can see the fading frescoes of the once thriving church. According to our guide, three (that’s right, three) Armenians live in Kayseri, a city of more than a half million people. The church receives support from the main church body in Istanbul, and hopes at some point to receive additional funding for restoration.

I left the city with no carpets but a beaming sense of pride and money in my pocket.