Posted by Pat Weiler on November 27, 1998 at 10:25:58:
Ayatlyk is a term used to describe a burial or funeral rug. See Oriental Rugs From Atlantic Collections, p. 126, plate 135.
They were made to cover the dead during the funeral ritual and then left on the graves. They were then "passed over" or donated to the cemetery mosques.
This may explain the good condition and lack of "baby stains".
The Ayatlyk in the book is 87x127 cm, similar in size to the one on this board. It is pile-woven, though.
(I posted this message in response to one by Marvin, but it is embedded in his message thread and if someone thought they had already checked that thread, they would not realize there are more messages attaached. The number beside a message shows how many comments there are attached to that message.)