‘Gypsy Girl’ motif breathes new life into traditional quilt-making

KİLİS

In the southern province of Kilis, the centuries-old art of quilt-making — a local tradition once on the verge of extinction — is experiencing a vibrant revival through a project that fuses classic techniques with contemporary designs featuring the iconic “Gypsy Girl” motif.

Quilt-making is the artisan practice of stitching together multiple layers of padded fabric to create bedding.

Under the project, a total of 25 local women received training from master quilt-makers.

Their hand-stitched quilts are now being sold in bedding stores, offering both economic opportunities for women and renewed visibility for a cultural craft.

Fethiye Pınar Masmanacı, a member of the association leading the project, explained that after mastering the skill, the women began incorporating printed images of the "Gypsy Girl" mosaic to attract new buyers.

The “Gypsy Girl,” unearthed in 1998 at the ancient city of Zeugma in the neighbouring city of Gaziantep, is one of Türkiye’s most iconic archaeological discoveries. It is known for its striking, enigmatic eyes and is exhibited at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Gaziantep.

“With the ‘Gypsy Girl’ motif, we modernize our quilts. We are teaching this once male-dominated craft to women so they can support their households. Quilt-making is painstaking work — the true definition of ‘digging a well with a needle,’” said Mehmet Emin Alperen, who has practiced the craft for nearly half a century.

Gülizar Yalçın, one of the trainees, said learning the craft has given her both a skill and economic independence. "Thanks to our masters, we learned this demanding art. The piece that emerges when we stitch a new pattern brings us joy.”