The Technique of Zilu Weaving in Anatolia, Caucasus and Iran

Zilu is a kind of hand woven which is woven in three regions of Iran, Caucasus, and Anatolia. Zilu weaving of each area has its own characteristics in terms of the type of structure, design, color, raw materials used. Zilu is woven on the vertical wooden loom. zilu weaving in Anatolia and the Caucasus belong to the nomadic community and the village while the zilu weaving of Iran is only woven by groups that inhabit Iran’s desert cities such as Meybod, Yazd and Kashan. The raw material used in Iran’s zilu is entirely of cotton yarn, often in two colors. Zilu with blue-white color is common and the oldest zilu. The weaving structure of Iran’s zilu is one of the most complex weavings among flat weaves. In Anatolian and Caucasian zilu, in addition to the warp and ground weft, the pattern weft is also used. In Anatolia, the pattern weft runs over and below certain warps that do not change to the end of the weaving. In the zilu weaving of the Caucasus, pattern weft wrapped around the warps. In Anatolia, with the technique of zilu, in addition of the floor covering, storage weaving like saddlebags, sacks, and bags are also woven. The motifs used in the zilu are entirely geometric and abstract, and only in the zilues of the Caucasus (Baku), there are motifs of birds and animals