Traditional Serbian Rugs | Handwoven Carpets | Authentic Designs

Ćilimi (traditional rugs) are much more than decorative items in a household. They are treasures that embody centuries of cultural heritage and tradition of a people. Myths, beliefs, collective consciousness, and the identity of a nation live and last through these items of exceptional artistic value. Pirot ćilimi, originated in the 16th century, marked the beginning of rug-making in our region.

Since then, the production of these items has gone through various phases, but one thing has always remained the same – authentic ćilimi are hand-woven from the highest quality wool, each featuring unique and unrepeatable ornamentation.

The first ćilimi, in the form of simple and undyed mats, were made exclusively for domestic needs. In the 17th and 18th centuries, rug-making was perfected with the use of vertical looms, and the 19th century brought an aesthetic boom, with a multitude of colors and motifs. In its latest developmental phase, rug-making reached a peak in craftsmanship quality and gained the appearance we know today: a central field, a plaque, inner and outer borders framing it.

Each of these parts of the composition that make up a ćilim has its specific patterns and motifs.

In the past, ćilimi were often used as an indispensable part of a girl's dowry, gifted as items of special value, and over time found their way from the people to the Serbian royal courts of the Obrenović and Karađorđević dynasties.

QUALITY WOVEN ĆILIMI IN SERBIANSHOP

What makes these ćilimi special: handcrafting, which achieves the identical appearance on both the face and the back, bold patterns, and intense colors.

The first thing that will catch your eye is the lively colors blended into a perfectly harmonious composition. Among them, red takes center stage, from delicate and bright to the deep shade of rotten cherry. There is also intense blue and green obtained from natural indigo with the addition of yellow. Onion skins were used to achieve the drab shade, and later white was included in the color palette.

Modern ćilimi are not limited in color thanks to the advent of industrial dyeing materials, which yield an endless kaleidoscope of shades.

The colors on a ćilim are much more than decorations. They reflect territorial-ethnic characteristics, just like the rich ornamentation.

Each pattern and carefully chosen motif on a ćilim has its meaning, and all together they tell a story about the history, tradition, and culture of the people.

Predominant are geometrically shaped patterns: a stylized flower, bird, or object from the immediate environment, but also objects from other cultures and climates. One of the motifs you will almost always find in the border of a ćilim is the turtle motif, symbolizing slow but indestructible persistence.

TRADITIONAL ĆILIMI – ONLINE SALE

Maybe somewhere in your closet, you have a ćilim woven by your grandmother or great-grandmother. But if you're not that lucky and don't want to admire the beauty of this item only through glass in museums, you can buy your own precious piece and permanently enrich the space you live in.

Online sales of ćilimi have made them accessible to everyone. At Serbian Shop, you can find ćilimi of various dimensions and patterns, from those the size of a standard carpet, to smaller mats that you can keep on the floor or draped over a piece of furniture, to ćilim pillowcases 40X40 in size that will discreetly fit into any space.

ĆILIMI – PRICE LIST

You don't have to travel to the cradle of Serbian rug-making to buy a hand-woven ćilim. The answer to where to buy a Pirot ćilim in Belgrade is very simple. The Serbian Shop online store offers a wide selection of ćilimi with patterns like those found on authentic Pirot woven mats. Whether you want to treat yourself or someone dear to you, the ideal gift is a ćilim.

Prices range from 2,790 RSD to over 50,000 RSD, but considering that each piece is made from pure top-quality wool, woven with special care, and has exceptional artistic value, the price is more than affordable.

This is an item you buy once with the intention of it lasting forever and passing on the story of rich Serbian tradition to the generations that follow.