Turkmen Carpet Gül: Reading Tribal IDs

Reading the Gül: Tribal Identity in Wool

The gül (flower medallion) is the defining design element of Turkmen carpets. Like a heraldic coat of arms, each tribe's gül pattern identifies the carpet's origin and the weaver's tribal affiliation.

Tekke Gül

The most widely recognized Türkmen gül. Octagonal shape with a quartered internal design — alternating pattern elements in the four quadrants. Usually features a small cross at center. Predominantly deep red on a red ground with blue and ivory accents.

Yomut Gül

Diamond-shaped with distinctive hook motifs at corners. More angular and geometric than the Tekke gül. Often features latch hooks (goçak) symbolizing protection. Yomut carpets sometimes use cotton foundations, unlike the wool foundations of Tekke pieces.

Salor Gül

The rarest and most prized. Octagonal like the Tekke, but with finer drawing and more complex internal design. Salor carpets from before 1850 command premium prices at auction. The Salor tribe was largely dispersed in the 19th century, making genuine pieces scarce.

Ersari Gül

Larger, bolder, and less precisely drawn than Tekke or Salor güls. Often combined with the gulli gul (flower garden) design. Ersari carpets tend to be larger in size and use more varied color palettes.