THE BIRD MOTIF IN IRANIAN AND ANATOLIAN TURKISH WEAVINGS: CULTURAL CONTINUITY IN FIGURAL ORNAMENTATION

Iranian geography, through Turkic communities such as Azeris, Qashqai, Turkmens, Afshars, Qajars,

and Khalaj Turks, constitutes one of the significant production areas of Turkish cultural heritage.

However, traditional weaving and motif traditions developed in this region have often remained

marginal within Anatolia-centered studies. In fact, Iranian and Anatolian geographies share a common

visual and symbolic heritage that reflects the continuity of Turkish cultural memory across different

regions. This study aims to examine the bird motif, which appears as a common element of figural

ornamentation in Iranian and Anatolian Turkish weavings, within the framework of shared cultural

meanings and symbolic continuity. Rather than adopting a comparative approach between the two

regions, the bird motif is addressed as a common symbolic expression that has been sustained across

different geographies within Turkish cultural history. A qualitative research method was employed in

the study. The bird motif was selected among animal figures observed in carpets and flat-woven textiles,

and visual examples from historical sources, museum collections, and existing literature were analyzed

using a literature-based descriptive analysis approach. Bird figures such as the nightingale, eagle, crane,

dove, and pigeon were found to be associated with concepts including soul, power, wisdom, sacredness,and protection, and to be reflected on weaving surfaces through these symbolic meanings. The findings

reveal that the bird motif in Iranian and Anatolian Turkish weavings functions not merely as a decorative

element, but as a symbolic visual language that embodies shared meanings and makes cultural continuity

visible within Turkish cultural memory. The study contributes to the understanding of figural

ornamentation in Turkish weaving traditions in the context of cultural transmission and continuity.