Anatolian carpets with their unique colors and patterns are one of the tangible cultural products, the reputation of which is spreaded all over the world. It is a fact verified by historical sources that carpet weaving is a tradition maintained for centuries in Manisa. Kula Carpets, which have remaining samples of the Seljuks period and exported to Europe in the 19th century, are an important example of this fact.
Gordes, Kula, Demirci districts and Yunt Mountain villages which have become famous since the 17th century are important centers of carpet weaving. Carpets woven today in Manisa are called by the name of the location they are woven; Gordes, Kula, Demirci and Yunt Mountain Carpets. Also, rug weaving is common in Kula, Sarıgöl and Selendi villages.
Turkish tribes, which have begun to settle in the region since the 13th century, have held on to many habits of their old life after the transition to settled life. These tribes, whose main livelihood is husbandry, they were making carpets, rugs and other fabrics for their need by dyeing the wool of their animals with natural dyes with traditional patterns consisting of symbolic motives.
Development of dyeing was naturally inevitable in the region where carpet production and weaving activities are taking place in such a high intensity. Therefore, in every place in Anatolia where weaving has been a part of the culture, dyeing has also existed. “Dyers' ensemble”, the members of which were painting weaving yarn or fabric, was performing an important role for the community.
It is asserted that everyone engaged in dyeing practices during the 17th century in Manisa were Turks. Dyers would dye fabric and yarn by sharing them among themselves.
Although madder, which gives red color to fabric or yarn, can grow in almost all parts of the Anatolia, the best and the most famous one was the crop of Bakır Town near Kırkağaç. Madder of Manisa, Akhisar and Gelenbe were also among the best. Flags were being produced with “red ivadi” of Alaşehir.
The roots of dyeing in Manisa region may thought to date back to ancient times, based on stories narrated about Lydia, whose name is written in Bible and who has once lived in Thyaetira, which is an ancient center on which Akhisar district of the modern day is located.
Rumor has it that Lydia, who became a famous merchant with hard work and perseverance even without a family wealth, was engaged in textile business and she invented purple or redbud colour by mixing some colours by which yarns would be dyed, and brought it into use. Although the reality of this extant story is disputable, it is reasonable that the territory in which weaving and dyeing has been performed for centuries is indeed “the land where the colour purple has been invented”.