Magic and mystery of Pirot carpets

www.samsungbola.com |Agen Bola dan Kasino Online | Agen Bola Terpercaya | Bandar Bola |

EDITION:  INTERNATIONALU.S.MÉXICOARABICTV:  CNNiCNN en EspañolSet edition preferenceSign upLog in//Event.observe(window, 'load', function() {//$('hdr-search-box').focus();//});#hdr-editions a { text-decoration:none; }#cnn_hdr-editionS { text-align:left;clear:both; }#cnn_hdr-editionS a { text-decoration:none;font-size:10px;top:7px;line-height:12px;font-weight:bold; }#hdr-prompt-text b { display:inline-block;margin:0 0 0 20px; }#hdr-editions li { padding:0 10px; }#hdr-editions ul li.no-pad-left span { font-size:12px; }.hdr-arrow-intl, .hdr-arrow-us, .hdr-arrow-us2 { left:148px; }.hdr-arrow-us2 { left:180px; }HomeVideoWorldU.S.AfricaAsiaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastMoneyWorld SportEntertainmentTechTraveliReport/* STORY PAGE SPECIFIC CSS */.cnn_stryspccvrgehdr { background:#fff url('http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.e/img/3.0/mosaic/bg_speccov_hdr.gif') 0px 0px repeat-x; }.cnn_stryspcvh1 { position:relative; height:74px;background:transparent url('http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/ssi/story/3.0/banner/intl.ontheroad.serbia.inc/ontheroad.serbia.jpg') 50% -1px no-repeat;overflow:hidden; }.cnn_stryspcvh2 { font:bold 10px/12px arial;color:#666;padding:0 0 2px 0; }.cnn_stryspcvh3 { font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; font-size:18px; line-height:21px; }.cnn_stryspcvh4 { position:absolute; z-index:1000; float:left;margin:30px 0 0 10px;display:inline; }.cnn_stryspcvh5 { float:right;margin:30px 10px 0 0;display:inline;text-align:right; }.cnn_stryspcvh20 { padding:0 0 2px 0; }.cnn_stryspccvrgebot { height:3px; background:#e6e6e6; }.cnn_stryspccvh6 { width:100%; height:74px; text-align:center; left:0; }.cnn_stryspccvh6 a { display:block; margin:0 auto; width:451px; height:74px; } Part of complete coverage onOn The Road: SerbiaSHARE THISPrintEmailMore sharingRedditStumbleUponDelicious/* push in config for this share instance */cnn_shareconfig.push({"id" : "cnn_sharebar1","url" : "http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/22/world/europe/pirot-carpets-serbia/index.html","title" : "Magic and mystery weaved through threads of Pirot carpets"});Magic and mystery weaved through threads of Pirot carpetsBy Milena Veselinovic, for CNNDecember 22, 2014 -- Updated 1131 GMT (1931 HKT)window.CNN = window.CNN || {};(function setupContentMeta(ns) {ns.ContentMetadata = ns.ContentMetadata || {};ns.ContentMetadata.pageTopGallery = {};}(CNN));if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(7);expGalleryPT00.setAdsRefreshCount(3);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("The ancient craft of Pirot weaving", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:'>>';font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:#004276;outline:medium none}.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}3D printed textiles are all the rage now, but can they rival the allure of traditional handmade fabrics? Intricate and full of charm, Pirot carpets -- aptly named after the town in which they're made -- are still being crafted in Serbia. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}Pirot carpets are carefully woven with strands of wool and the art itself can be traced back to the middle ages. Each carpet is unique and often tells a story through it's detailed patterns. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}Only a handful of women still craft these detailed rugs and it is feared that these carpets will soon face extinction. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}"We were born on carpets and we grew up in homes filled with Pirot carpets" says Slavica Ciric, a Pirot carpet weaver. "We realized about ten years ago that there is a danger that Pirot carpet weaving could soon disappear" she adds. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}A special breed of sheep provide the strong wool strands for the carpets. Unfortunately, there are only a few hundred left. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}In order to keep the art alive, it is up to new generations to learn and hone the craft. Ceric is schooling her granddaughter in carpet-making. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}

www.samsungbola.com |Agen Bola dan Kasino Online | Agen Bola Terpercaya | Bandar Bola |

A national symbol and a physical embodiment of Serbian history, the Pirot carpet blends craftsmanship with a unique form of storytelling. Perhaps, with efforts of weavers like Ciric, the age-old craft can be preserved. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"The ancient craft of Pirot weaving"}HIDE CAPTIONThe ancient craft of Pirot weavingThe ancient craft of Pirot weavingThe ancient craft of Pirot weavingThe ancient craft of Pirot weavingThe ancient craft of Pirot weavingThe ancient craft of Pirot weavingThe ancient craft of Pirot weaving<<<1234567>>>Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"Magic and mystery weaved through threads of Pirot carpets");}});STORY HIGHLIGHTSCarpets have been weaved in the town of Pirot for 400 yearsThey were hung in Serbian royal palaces and celebrated across EuropeHowever, only 10 weavers still practice the craft todayWeavers say patterns have magical meanings and symbolismEditor's note: CNN's On the Road series brings you a greater insight into the customs and culture of countries across the world. Until the end of December CNN International explores the places, people and passions unique to Serbia. Read CNN's special reports policy.

Pirot, Serbia (CNN) -- In the backroom of a small house in Pirot in southeastern Serbia, a handful of women are fighting to keep an ancient craft alive.

Their dexterous fingers race up and down large wooden looms, weaving the bold geometric patterns distinct to Pirot carpets.

Once celebrated throughout Europe for their beauty, Pirot carpets graced the walls and floors of Serbian royal palaces, as well homes of the urban elite. Weaved for over four centuries in the town after which they were named -- Pirot, once a thriving trade center on the caravan route between east and west -- they were ceremonially rolled out for state visits, and given to foreign dignitaries.

var currExpandable="expand14";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.network='cnnintl';mObj.source='international/2014/12/17/spc-otr-serbia-pirot-rugs.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/on-the-road/serbia';mObj.lgImage="C:\Program Files (x86)\ABS\Auto Blog Samurai\data\InulPoker Sleeping\CNN Europe\141217145343-spc-otr-serbia-pirot-rugs-00005806-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand14Store=mObj;Serbia's poetic carpets read like booksHowever, what was a thriving craft practiced by 5,000 weavers a century ago is now under threat of extinction, with only 10 women still keeping the tradition going.

"Pirot carpet weaving is our treasure which is passed on from generation to generation. It's the knowledge I learned from my mother and my grandmother," says Slavica Ciric who founded the Lady's Heart cooperative in Pirot with local women in 2009, to try to stop the skills nurtured throughout centuries from passing into oblivion.

Pirot carpet weaving is our treasure which is passed on from generation to generation.
Slavica Ciric."Carpet weaving is in our DNA," she continues. "We were born on carpets and we grew up in houses filled with Pirot carpets."

Mastery of craft

Pirot carpets are very thin but extremely dense, and are said to last more than a century. They have two identical sides and are geographically protected, which means that they can only be made in the Pirot area, and out of Pirot sheep -- a rare breed with only a few flocks counting just 250 sheep remaining.

Weaving is painstaking work. It requires geometrical precision, supreme skill and creativity in equal measure. Everything is done by hand only, and in the same way as hundreds of years ago. It takes two weavers working simultaneously a month to create less than one square meter.

Traditionally a female activity, young girls would start at the loom at the age of 10, practicing every day for five years to reach a level considered good enough. Their weaving skill had a great impact on their marriage prospects -- it was considered a measure of intelligence because of the knowledge of mathematics required to calculate the size and distribution of patterns.

"When you look at a carpet with an untrained eye, you can see beautiful colorful patterns, but we work out exactly how many of these patterns we can fit within a meter," says Ciric. "We have to be visionaries and use logic to see where these patterns will stop, and where the border of the carpet will connect and finish," she adds.

And if a weaver makes a mistake, the carpet is instantly pulled apart, even if the work was nearly completed.

Magical meaning

The concentration necessary for this kind of precise work often means that once a weaver sits down at the loom, she loses all sense of time. "The pattern in a mysterious way simply possesses her, drags her into the depth and she's so taken by her work that everything around her stops. She forgets about the time, she surrenders herself to the pattern," says Ciric.

Carpet weaving is in our DNA, we were born on carpets and we grew up in houses filled with Pirot carpets.
Slavica CiricAnd it's those patterns that give Pirot carpets a mystical allure. Weavers say they represent ancient symbols which carry magical meanings and can be read as an image alphabet, and there are 95 varieties which weavers have to memorize. "It is very mysterious but in every single carpet there is a story which you can read. When I see a carpet I can immediately tell whether it has been made now or in a different period, whether it has been made with love or only to be sold," says Ciric.

Even though this skill is now practiced only by a handful of women, Ciric and her fellow weavers from Lady's Heart are trying to pass it on to the next generation, organizing winter courses for schoolchildren, including boys.

"There is a new generation coming along and if we manage to pass on this knowledge to them, I think there won't be any danger of this craft dying out," says Ciric. "We are the guardians of the tradition of Pirot carpet weaving, and we do this with love."

Read this: Resilient Belgrade rebuilds once again

Read this: No battery? Use a 'Strawberry Tree!'

More from On the Road Serbia

Monique Todd contributed to this report.

.cnn_strycrcntrnwsp .cnn_mtpmore { padding:10px 0px 1px 0px; }.cnn_stryccnwsp2 .cnn_stryccnwsp3 { width:100% }Most PopularToday's five most popular storiesLife inside the densest place on earth: Remembering Kowloon Walled CityNorth Korea's Internet still spotty2015: The year ahead in aviationLeading Women's most inspiring women of 2014 10 of the best safaris for 2015.OB_SB_1, .OB_SB_2 { padding:0px; }#outbrain_container_1_stripBox .strip-like, #outbrain_container_2_stripBox .strip-like { font-size:18px; }#ob_strip_container_rel_1_stripBox { }#ob_strip_container_rel_1_stripBox .item-container, #ob_strip_container_rel_2_stripBox .item-container { padding-top:8px;border-top:1px solid #E5E5E5; }.ob_box_cont ul li { display:block; height:60px; list-style-type:none; padding-top:8px; padding-bottom:7px; position:relative; width:100%; border-top:1px solid #E5E5E5}.ob_box_cont ul li .ob-rec-link-img {float:left;}.ob_box_cont ul li .ob-rec-link-img a {display: block; float: left; height: 50px; padding: 3px; position: relative; width: 90px;}.ob_box_cont ul li .ob-text-content {padding-left:105px;}.ob_box_cont ul li .ob-text-content a {font:bold 12px/15px arial !important;}.ob_box_cont ul li .ob-rec-link-img a .ob_video {position:absolute; top:5px; left:5px;}Part of complete coverage on On the Road: SerbiaSerbia: Hollywood's new hotspot?December 23, 2014 -- Updated 1141 GMT (1941 HKT)The Balkan country has emerged in recent years as a popular filmmaking destination.Magic and mystery of Pirot carpetsDecember 22, 2014 -- Updated 1131 GMT (1931 HKT)In the backroom of a small house in Pirot in southeastern Serbia, a handful of women are fighting to keep an ancient craft alive.'Serb and volley'December 19, 2014 -- Updated 1131 GMT (1931 HKT)Serbia has defied crushing odds and financial difficulties to emerge in recent years as an unlikely tennis powerhouse.The prince born in Claridge'sDecember 18, 2014 -- Updated 1644 GMT (0044 HKT)Belgrade and Claridge's might be more than 1,000 miles apart, but for one day some seven decades ago the two places came much closer.Resilient Belgrade rebuilds once again December 22, 2014 -- Updated 1034 GMT (1834 HKT)In the heart of Belgrade, the vibrant and resilient capital of Serbia, a slow and colorful transformation is taking place. No battery? Use a 'Strawberry Tree!'December 16, 2014 -- Updated 1450 GMT (2250 HKT)A Serbian startup has created a public solar-powered station that allows allows users to recharge their phones for free.Europe's best music festivalDecember 12, 2014 -- Updated 1130 GMT (1930 HKT)Over 2.5 million people from more than 60 countries have attended EXIT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia's second largest city, since it started in 2000.Serbia by numbersDecember 12, 2014 -- Updated 1555 GMT (2355 HKT)What is Serbia's life expectancy rate? Find out this and much more in our detailed infographics.Your favorite things about Serbia Have you ever visited Serbia? CNN wants to see pictures of your favorite things about the country.Serbia: At the crossroads of Europe December 11, 2014 -- Updated 1459 GMT (2259 HKT)After more than a decade on the sidelines of the international community, Serbia has emerged from a long and troubled history to become one of Europe's newest republics.See more On the Road: SerbiaCNN's On the Road series brings you a greater insight into the customs and culture of Serbia.

Loading weather data ...

Home | Video | World | U.S. | Africa | Asia | Europe | Latin America | Middle East | Business | World Sport | Entertainment | Tech | Travel | iReportTools & Widgets | RSS | Podcasts | Blogs | CNN Mobile | My Profile | E-mail Alerts | CNN Shop | Site map | CNN Partner HotelsCNN en ESPAÑOL | CNN Chile | CNN México | ??????? | ??? | Türkçe© 2014 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Terms of service | Privacy guidelines | AdChoices | Advertise with us | License our content | About us | Contact us | Work for us | HelpCNN TV | HLN | Transcripts var cnn_edtnswtchver="edition"; msQueueManager.init('requestFrame',ms_blankURL); if(ms_isLoggedIn()){ CNN_setCookie('CNN_member',true,854400,'/',document.domain); } var jsmd=_jsmd.init(),pageURL=location.href.toLowerCase();if (pageURL.indexOf("/.element/ssi/ads.iframes/")==-1&&pageURL.indexOf("/doubleclick/dartiframe.html")==-1&&pageURL.indexOf("/search/")==-1){if (_jsmd.plugin.gQuery("refresh")){jsmd.trackMetrics("dynamic-autoRefresh","autorefresh","cnn-autorefresh");} else if (_jsmd.plugin.gQuery("is_LR")){} else if (cnn_metadata.template_type_content!="gallery"){jsmd.send();}}/*globals CNN_CB, cnnsocial, cnnzite_mod, sectionName *//* configure apis to load and specify their callbacks */cnnsocial.setapiconfig([{'site' : 'facebook','success' : function() {/* trigger connect-cnnsocial.js calls */window.cnn_fbAsyncInit();}},{ 'site' : 'twitter' }]);var _vrq = _vrq || [];var vrId = 6;if(cnn_edtnswtchver === 'edition'){vrId = 396;}_vrq.push(['id', vrId]);_vrq.push(['automate', false]);_vrq.push(['track', function(){}]);(function(d, a){var s = d.createElement(a),x = d.getElementsByTagName(a)[0];s.async = true;s.src = 'http://a.visualrevenue.com/vrs.js';x.parentNode.insertBefore(s, x);})(document, 'script');/* add the multiple config instance for sharebars */cnnsocial.share.setconfig(cnn_shareconfig);$j(document).ready(function () {'use strict';loadChartbeat("europe", "Milena Veselinovic, for CNN");CNN.initFlipperTicker();/* initialize cnnsocial */cnnsocial.init();});

www.samsungbola.com |Agen Bola dan Kasino Online | Agen Bola Terpercaya | Bandar Bola |