Otoman kilim brought from Portugal to Turkey

The owner of a carpet and kilim shop in the Aegean town of Çesme in Izmir has brought from Portugal a three-century-old Ottoman kilim, which he claims is the thinnest in the world. Hayim Akyüz said he encountered the Ottoman kilim in an antique shop during his visit to the country.

Akyüz said the kilim was woven very thinly with silk thread less than one millimeter thick. “It is an old Ottoman piece and very precious. It is a real work of art. It has been woven with golden and silk thread and is the thinnest one ever.”

Saying it was the best decision for him to bring the kilim to Turkey rather than export it abroad, Akyüz said he was not thinking of selling the Ottoman kilim, but rather wanted to show it to visitors and friends and derive pleasure from having the “Ottoman heritage in Turkey.” Akyüz has not disclosed the kilim's price and has called for experts to evaluate it.

From the family of Portuguese painter

Akyüz said the kilim belonged to the family of a Portuguese palace painter during the Ottoman Period. “Most probably the kilim was given as a gift to him by the palace,” according to Akyüz. He added the two minarets -- the crescent and the star -- on the kilim proved that it was an Ottoman piece.

Akyüz, who organizes conferences on Turkish carpets, kilims and traditions for foreign tourists in his shop in Çesme, said he would showcase the Ottoman kilim to the visitors who came to his shop.