MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Van- Perinaz Çupan, who lives in the Erdemit district of Van province, has been spending her time weaving rugs and prayer rugs behind her 15-year-old wooden loom. She was forcibly displaced from her village due to the pressure of the village guards so she works non-stop to fulfill her longing for her village. Perinaz Çupan, who also earns money by collecting and selling walnuts, is one of the several women in the region who own a loom.

She went behind her loom after showing us the colorful ropes. “These ropes are made of sheep wool,” she said. Her loom has a treadle and she weaves rugs like sewing clothes. She showed us how she weaves rugs.

Perinaz Çupan earns a livelihood by selling the products she weaves. “I forget all problems when I weave rugs behind my loom. We made this wooden loom 15 years ago. Normally, we earn a livelihood by collecting and selling walnuts. But it is seasonal work so I weave rugs and prayers rugs to earn a livelihood. In the past, I used to sit behind the loom every day in the village. In the village, we had to work hard. But after we moved to the city, we have more time. That's why I usually work behind my loom. You have to be patient to weave rugs,” she told us.

“I forget all problems”

“Whenever I have problems, I weave rugs behind the loom. In this way, I make a living for my children. Before people didn’t have any problems. Now, everybody has many problems. I forget all problems when I weave rugs.”