Vintage Aksehir prayer kilim from Turkey. 193x106 cms

A Rare Prayer Kilim with Mountain-Inspired Mihrab

This unique prayer kilim features a mihrab—or prayer niche—formed by a series of concentric triangles that evoke the silhouette of a mountain peak. Unlike most Turkish prayer kilims, which tend to be framed with multiple borders, this piece stands out with its bold use of horizontal bands, a less common design choice in this tradition.

The color palette is soft and harmonious, blending shades of pink, terracotta, grey, and ivory. Set against a deep grey background, two large protective motifs anchor the composition, adding strength and presence to the overall design. A striking and symbolic piece that blends subtle beauty with spiritual resonance.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool

Size: 193×106 cms

Origin: Aksehir, turkey

Date of weaving: 1970s

The Mihrab

This word refers to the niche in mosques that indicates the direction of the Kaaba, toward which believers must prostrate themselves. This might suggest that the symbol of the same name is an Islamic creation. Adapted to weaving, it characterizes prayer kilims and rugs, which believers lay out on a clean surface, taking care to orient the pointed end of the mihrab toward Mecca. There are also multi-niche prayer kilims, called saf, intended for collective practices.

However, we favor the hypothesis that the mihrab predates Islam and symbolizes the sacred mountain, a concept present in all mythologies. The various representations of the motif would then be progressive adaptations influenced by contact with new cultures.

A Protective Motif with Exorcising Power

Inaccessible peaks have always stirred the imagination with their majesty—and, when volcanic, with their activity.

Identifying the mihrab with the sacred mountain leads us to classify this motif among protective symbols with exorcising power, as well as among those symbolizing fertility. Yet we cannot rule out the possibility that the mihrab is a product of later beliefs, which would give woven textiles bearing this motif a cultic or religious function.

“Symbolique des kilims”, Ahmet Diler