Oushak carpets or rugs originated in the small town of Oushak in west central Anatolia, south of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Oushak has produced some of the most decorative Persian influenced rugs of all times. Oushak has been a production centre of Turkish rugs since the 15th century.
Oushak carpets are very soft to touch resulting from the invariable use of wool for the foundation. The wool of the woof is the same grade as that of the pile. In the qualities known as Yaprak and Kirman the warp is usually dyed in strong colours — red, green, blue, terra cotta or maroon.
The several categories of Oushak rugs differ in texture. The ordinary Oushak, generally called Kirman, has from twenty-five to fifty knots to the square inch, and the Gulistan, and Enile or Inely, from fifty to ninety. The Gulistans are finer, in many respects, than the Eniles.
The Yapraks are the original Oushak carpets. These are the coarsest of all, and ordinarily contain only two colours, red and blue, or red and green. The warp and weft are dyed in any one of the colours, and the pattern in the alternating colour, is as plainly visible on the back as on the front of the carpet. The Kirmans are softer than the other varieties.