About ECM25 logo...

The logo of ECM25 is composed of one of the wonderful silhouettes of Istanbul and a motif, known as “wheel of fortune”, taken from an 18^th Century Anatolian kilim shown below, which has been exhibited in Vakıflar Carpet Museum, Istanbul. 

You can witness such fascinating scenes when the sun is setting behind the western skyline of this magnificient city of Istanbul as the one reflected in the logo. It pictures the historical peninsula, which has hosted many ancient and modern cultures: the city-state Byzantion, the capital of East Roman  Empire and Byzantion, and Ottoman Empire. Two of the most prominent historical buildings of Istanbul are seen in the silhouette, Sultanahmet Mosque (Also known as The Blue Mosque, famous with its magnificient blue İznik tiles from the 17^th century…) on the left, and Hagia Sophia (One of the finest buildings of all times with its mosaics and architecture, a church from the 6^th century…) on the right. They have been extending up into the sky for centuries...

Anatolian kilims, beyond their traditional function of being ordinary rugs, bear the features of contemporary understanding of art in their color, design and compositions. The technical and artistic level of the weaver women, who probably have never left even their village all through their life, is extraordinary.

Researches indicate that the motifs used in the kilims have peculiar names, meaning and symbolic expressions. Several traditional values of the Anatolian country life are reflected in these motifs. Concepts related to life such as “birth, marriage” and “death” such as “protection, fertility, avoidance” are symbolized with motifs. Despite the slight variations in the names, expressions and motifs through their journey to the present day, they still possess the same meaning and express the wishes in the Anatolian rural.

The motifs on this kilim indicate that this is a kilim from a bride’s dowry. In other words, this kilim is woven by a girl to be used after her marriage. There are different motifs on these kilims indicating the wishes of marriage and fertility, and protection from evil eyes.

Although some weavers name the motif in the logo as “whell of fortune”, in fact it is a motif referring to the “cosmic balance”, and is believed to have protective powers. It is also believed that the ‘’four hooks’’ joined to one another is a symbol of four-fold increased power, which turns evils back into four directions with decreased power.