A hidden gem beneath Sultanahmet where heritage, artistry, and hospitality are woven together.
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Where Craft Meets Culture
In Turkey, a rug is far more than something that lies beneath your feet. It’s a map of memory, a conversation between generations, a canvas of culture. Handwoven Turkish rugs are some of the most emotionally and artistically rich items in the world of craftsmanship.
🔹 Every knot tells a story
🔹 Every color has a natural origin
🔹 Every pattern reflects a people, a place, a time
At Nakkas Rug, this ancient art is not only preserved but celebrated—and made deeply accessible to all who walk through its unassuming doors.
A Glimpse into History
The history of Turkish carpet weaving spans centuries, from nomadic tents to palace halls. By the 13th century, carpets from Anatolia were already admired throughout Europe. And yet, each region developed its own visual language:
🔹 Hereke – luxurious silk, once woven exclusively for Ottoman sultans
🔹 Konya & Bergama – bold tribal motifs, saturated colors
🔹 Oushak – pale, luminous patterns with a meditative quality
🔹 Kayseri, Sivas, Yörük – each known for specific textures, dyes, and symbols
What makes Turkish rugs so timeless is that they are alive—imbued with symbolic motifs (fertility, strength, protection) and tied entirely by hand, knot by knot.
At Nakkas, these regional traditions are respectfully preserved and passed on. This is not just a showroom—it’s a living archive of Anatolian textile heritage.
Nakkas Rug is located in the very heart of Old Istanbul, a stone’s throw from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.
But the real surprise?
You descend below street level, entering what feels like a subterranean sanctuary.
🔹 The showroom sits atop a 6th-century Byzantine cistern—with towering marble columns and centuries-old brick vaults
🔹 Guests are invited to explore this underground space, free of charge, after their visit
🔹 The location perfectly mirrors the philosophy of Nakkas: deep-rooted tradition, beautifully revealed
Finding Nakkas feels like discovering a secret—one carved into the very stone of the city.
What Sets Nakkas Apart?
This family-run business has been operating for over 40 years, and it shows in every rug, every welcome, every well-chosen word. What makes it so special?
🔹 Over 20,000 handmade rugs and kilims
🔹 Only natural materials: wool, silk, cotton
🔹 Plant- and mineral-based dyes—madder root reds, indigo blues, walnut husk browns
🔹 Antique and new rugs from across Turkey
🔹 Restoration and conservation by in-house artisans
Each rug is 100% handmade. There is no outsourcing, no shortcuts—only pride in a centuries-old process that honors the land, the maker, and the tradition.
The Showroom Experience
Entering Nakkas Rug is not about shopping—it’s about being welcomed into a world of stories and symbols. Here’s what you can expect:
🔹 A warm greeting and a glass of Turkish tea
🔹 No pressure—just a genuine desire to share knowledge
🔹 Live weaving demonstrations by master artisans
🔹 A slow, beautiful “unrolling” of carpets, each with its own history
🔹 Conversations that span from natural dyes to nomadic weavers to Ottoman design codes
You’re not rushed. You’re not sold to.
You’re guided. Taught. Heard.
Even if you walk away without a purchase, you’ll leave with something far more lasting: understanding.
The Language of Rugs
Turkish rugs aren’t just decorative. They are woven memories. In many households, they are as sacred as photographs.
🔹 Used for sleeping, praying, gifting, marrying, remembering
🔹 Motifs like scorpions, water channels, or ram’s horns carry deep symbolic meaning
🔹 Often woven into a young girl’s dowry—a record of her life, hopes, and heritage
Many of the rugs at Nakkas were not made for markets—but for homes, hearts, and generations.
By learning to read the patterns, you’re not just appreciating a design—you’re listening to someone’s story across time.
Why The Other Tour Recommends Nakkas Rug
At The Other Tour, we don’t take people to shops.
We take them to encounters.
Nakkas Rug is not a tourist stop. It’s an experience. It’s one of those rare places where culture, history, hospitality, and art truly meet.
Why we love it:
🔹 Long-standing friendship with the Nakkas family
🔹 Their genuine respect for visitors—no haggling, no pressure
🔹 The beauty of the underground cistern
🔹 Their educational approach, aligned with our own values
🔹 Every traveler leaves richer in understanding, rug or not
We’ve seen guests cry over a design that reminded them of home. We’ve seen artists find inspiration, and skeptics fall in love with craft.
To us, Nakkas isn’t part of a route—it’s part of the story we’re trying to tell about Istanbul.
A Final Invitation
You don’t need to buy a rug to understand what makes Nakkas so special.
Just come.
🪔 Sit.
☕ Sip tea.
🎨 Ask questions.
👣 Explore the cistern.
👂 Listen to the threadlines of a people.
Whether or not you leave with a handmade heirloom, you’ll walk out carrying something just as valuable: a sense of connection—to culture, to beauty, to something real.
Come with Us
Nakkas Rug is a featured stop on some of our most culturally immersive experiences, including:
🔹 The Other Sultanahmet Tour
🔹 Istanbul Islamic Heritage Tour
🔹 Historic Istanbul Tour
We don’t just show you Nakkas.
We translate it.
We make space for you to feel what it’s really about.
