Caspian Business Journal

How a Young Turkmen Entrepreneur Set Up Her Own Carpet Business

Turkmen carpets have been famous for centuries. Long known as “Bukhara” rugs after the city in which the majority of them were sold, they were lauded by Marco Polo as “the finest carpets in the world, and the most beautiful.”[1] The classic Turkmen rug had a burgundy red background. In the center there was a field of repeating medallions called güls – different tribes used different güls – surrounded by a wide, geometric border.  Despite the differences between the güls, the carpets have a common background and common imagery which means that they are recognizable as Turkmen in origin.When the Soviets took control of Turkmenistan, they quickly saw the value of the local carpets, organized weavers into cooperatives, and started marketing the rugs abroad. They even sent one to the 1937 Paris World Fair, where it won a prize.[2]

Turkmen carpets today

After independence, the carpets became national symbols and today Turkmen carpets are patterned with five traditional ornamentations. These form the state emblem and the flag of Turkmenistan. The Turkmen flag features a gül from each of the country’s five welayats (states). Niyazov had weavers make the world’s biggest carpet, which is housed in a museum in the capital, with a plaque from the Guinness Book of World Records.

There are a number of reasons why carpets from Turkmenistan can compete on the world market: the material used, the way in which the thread is dyed, the knotting, density, and the pattern layout all ensure a quality product. You can judge the quality of these hand made carpets by looking at how thorough and neatly the side margins and edges are knotted, at how much it weighs and how well the carpet is washed. Turkmen carpets are made of pure silk, camel’s wool and the wool of a special kind of sheep “Saryja” which is found only in Turkmenistan. This type of wool is a major raw material for Turkmen textiles. Turkmen hand-made carpets are 100% ecologically pure wool. Wool fibers are elastic and their resilience means that after being crushed or stretched, they immediately spring back to their original shape. Turkmen carpets also increase in value over time, proving to be a good investment.

The weaving and engineering process is very hard work. It involves wefts and warp knots on a cloth base.  The fact that every knot is fastened separately, means that there are endless opportunities for individual colorful designs and patterns.

Harvesting silk in Turkmenistan. Photo by Sam Tranum.

The time it takes to make a carpet very much depends on the size and design of the rug, as well as the number of wearer who are working on it and how experienced they are. It might take between 10 and 20 days for four weavers to complete a medium-size carpet of around 200 cm x 300 cm. The cost of the carpet is also determined by the design and size, as well as the type and quantity of material used to make it – silk or wool. They may be paid $1000 for this work, although if carpets are ordered in bulk, then the weaver often also adds a discount to the cost.

The final price of the carpet when it reaches the customer is increased slightly due to registrations. The carpet has to be officially registered in the carpet museum in Ashgabat, and there is also carpet taxation that must be paid in post offices in Turkmenistan. This depends on weight and the quality of the carpet. The prices I tell customers include all the expenses and the final destination of the delivery to the given address within a certain time period. For a 200cm x 300cm carpet, this can be around $2000, although the prices fluctuate according to the exchange rate of the dollar.

Starting a business

While studying in the United States, I visited several museums in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., where I stumbled upon displays of Turkmen hand-made carpets. I admit that I felt some nostalgia and patriotic pride too see them there, and it also gave me an idea: to make these carpets more well known. I thought that the best way of making this idea a reality would be to open a small business and test out the market.

Back at university in Kyrgyzstan, the idea stayed at the back of my mind but it remained  undeveloped. I didn’t know how to start a business and where to target these carpets. I didn’t register my business initially. The first step was to work out if there really was a market and how to target that market. I prepared several presentations about Turkmen carpets and collected the most beautiful pictures of Turkmen carpets in one catalog. I used this portfolio to find clients, with some success. Admittedly, my very first client was my best friend; I exchanged a carpet for an expensive French perfume which I couldn’t find in Bishkek. A small start, but this was the moment when my network of clients began to grow.

I’m often asked how I manage to sell Turkmen carpets, given that I’m currently based in Kyrgyzstan. The most important thing is to have a reliable business partner. Luckily, I have a very special business partner back at home: my mother. She is a person who has made me believe that I can achieve anything. My business currently functions in a very simply way: first, when I get an order, the carpet is selected from the carpet catalog I prepared. It has information on the background of the carpet, the size, texture, color and design. Then I send a request to my mother with the carpet specifications, and the destination.

A traditional Turkmen carpet. Photo by Sam Tranum.

I realized this year that I really want to continue to develop this business, and to make it a successful venture. So, I began to think about what I have to do to make it work. While I was back at home in Turkmenistan this summer, I studied the carpet quality and realized that Turkmen carpet weavers are very talented not only when it comes to making oriental carpets depicting traditional patterns, but can create any pattern a client wishes to see.

Just after this, I had a chance to travel to Thailand and Malaysia, to participate in business study trip focused on the business environment and market condition of ASEAN countries. During my trip I met with  a number of experienced and successful businessmen and women. During my conversations with them, I realized that my main aim should not be to expand too quickly and sell Turkmen carpets on the global market, but actually to make them more attractive and compatible for the European and US markets. In order to do this, I intend to create modern designs for Turkmen carpets, attractive to people with different life styles. This doesn’t mean completely losing the value and traditional ornamentation of Turkmen carpets, but instead to showcase the high quality of the products and the talent of Turkmen weavers through different pictures. This approach will not get rid of the cultural and traditional ornaments depicted in each Turkmen carpet, but add innovation.

I have now reached the stage where I need to think about rebranding for the new carpets designed by Turkmen weavers in accordance with my new vision. I also intend to create a new catalog accessible online. I admit, this is hard work requiring patience and strong motivation. However, I am ready for hard work and am determined to bring this project to life. And I am optimistic about the future of my business. When I have finished laying the foundations, my next step will be to personally introduce these masterpieces to Europe and the United States. I intend to expand my network and increase the number of orders that I receive from the U.S. and Europe. I believe that several trips to both continents with my new idea, and a selection of carpets in hand, will be a promising beginning.

Footnotes:

[1] Polo, M. (1931). The Travels of Marco Polo. London: G. Routeledge & Sons, p. 20.

[2] Tzareva, E. (1984). Rugs and Carpets from Central Asia. Leningrad: Aurora Art Publishers. Schurmann, Ulrich (1969). Central Asian Rugs. Frankfurt Am Main: Verlag Osterrieth.