This rug was woven by nomadic Kurds.  It is an ethnographically authentic weaving dating to the late 19^th century.

Although still occasionally found on the international market, Kurdish rugs of this age and quality are increasingly rare.

Consistent with its nomadic heritage, the rug is irregular in shape.

This feature is quite common with many Anatolian Kurdish rugs and with nomadic weavers in general.

As mentioned elsewhere on this site, this asymmetry is usually caused by a combination of uneven warp tension and loosely packed wefts.

Design execution and distribution is whimsical and free-flowing.

In the Kurdish fashion, the sides of the rug are herringbone stitched with multi-colored bands.

The top and bottom of the rug have thick, heavy braided warp ends.

The colors are from all natural dye sources and include a wonderful lime green, apricot, two shades of yellow and aubergine.  The wool is very fine and lustrous.

The field is compartmentalized with different ground colors.  Within each compartment is a large medallion in a style frequently seen in nomadic Kurdish rugs.

Condition:   There are some wear creases and areas of pile wear, although the field pile is generally very good.  The herringbone sides include the original and some re-weaves.  Most of the heavy end braids are original with some areas of damage.

In eastern Turkey a rug is frequently named after a provincial capital.  It does not mean the rug was actually produced at that locale.

The relatively light colors of the rug suggest to me that it was probably woven closer to Arapkir,northeast of Malatya, or perhaps Sivas, to the northwest.