Handwoven carpets spread across fields for sterilization and pastel hues in the sun create colorful images in Türkiye's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya.
As the summer kicks in, carpet makers start working on hundreds of acres of agricultural land right after harvest in the Döşemealtı district, famous for its handmade carpets.
Famous Turkish carpets and kilims, woven on looms with yarns dyed with natural root pigments, are brought to the district from various parts of the country.
First, they are washed and then dried. The carpets are then spread out in the fields under the sun in a scorching heat surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) to get rid of any remaining microbes and to obtain a more pastel color.
After days of hard work for the wheat harvest, dedicated workers move on laying out the carpets in the same fields.
The agricultural fields hosting thousands of carpets laid side by side also attract the attention of photography enthusiasts.
Ayşe Akbaba, the field supervisor of a carpet trading company in the Killik neighborhood, stated that for nearly 50 years, with the arrival of summer, "carpet fields" have started to form in the region.
Each company typically has at least 3,000-4,000 carpets, which are rearranged and cleaned on a regular basis.
The carpets remain in the fields throughout the summer, and the colors mature under the scorching temperatures until September, Akbaba said.
Despite the intense heat that has been tough for both Antalya residents and the field workers, it has accelerated the maturation process and helped the colors set more quickly, thus being beneficial for carpets and kilims, according to Akbaba.
The natural beauty and unique process of creating these carpets add to the charm of the region and make it a fascinating destination for travelers and photography enthusiasts.
