Yağcı-Bedir

Nowadays, Yagci-Bedir rugs are made in all the villages around Sindirgi, but the six principal centers of production are Igredere, Gakilli, Esmedere, Kara­kaya, Osmanlar and Golciik. The main characteristic of a Yağcı-Bedir is its deep blue ground. The number of knots is usually high, there being about 300 per yard width. The warp, weft and pile are of high-quality wool. The pile is short, resulting in a design with sharp outlines. The basic motif, usually dark red, is a stepped hexagon, and the secondary motifs are woven in a shade of red which is vivid without being garish and which, in the older rugs, has faded to a reddish-brown. The rugs contain numerous stars of Solomon, and stylized flowers are also frequently used. A border of between five and seven bands frames these little masterpieces.

There are hundreds of carpet-looms in the villages around Sindirgi and the weavers are kept fully occupied. Carpet weaving is an important economic factor in the lives of the inhabitants of the upper valley. Yağcı-Bedir carpets are very popular and the work­shop proprietors study the market closely to find out which designs and which sizes of rug are in greatest demand. In addition to rugs of traditional ceyrek and seccade dimensions, the villages are now making runners and very small rugs of about one square meter in area. - J. Iten-Maritz from Turkish Carpets (1975)

"South of Balikesir , this town and the surrounding area recently became an important manufacturing center.  Pile knotted rugs in various sizes but characterized by their simple stylized designs, often of a ''Tree of life'', in dark tones of red and blue." - from Oriental Rugs Volume 4 - Turkish by K.Zipper & C.Fritzsche