Antep İşi Embroidery

Antep İşi Embroidery is a type of embroidery unique to the Gaziantep region, created by pulling and counting threads from the fabric. Traditional Antep İşi is worked in white, yellow, and cream threads on white or cream fabric, while Colored Antep İşi is enriched with threads of various colors using susma and ajur techniques. Designs are inspired by nature, geometric shapes, carpet and kilim motifs, and figurative elements. Each piece is individualized by the creativity of the artisan, resulting in models that cannot be replicated.

Antep İşi Embroidery (Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality)

Fabric and Thread Characteristics

In the past, poplin, patiska, and kahke cloth were used; today, preferred fabrics include kutnu, havayan, crepe de chine, mongol, crepe georgette, handwoven linens, and silk fabrics. Threads used are silk, ibrişim, floş, and cotton. Bright, strong, and smooth threads are preferred; embroidery can be done using single-color or multicolored threads.

Production Method and Ajur Techniques

Antep İşi is entirely handmade. The fabric is stretched on a frame, threads are pulled with special scissors, and wound using various needle techniques. There are eight main ajur groups: mercimek, ciğerdeldi, cemelyan, örümcek, kartopu, çitime, badem, susma, and muşabak. These techniques create different motifs and add variety to the embroidery.

• Mercimek Ajur: An ajur in which the cut and retained threads are equal in number.
• Ciğerdeldi: An ajur in which the retained threads exceed the cut ones, worked in a zigzag pattern.
• Cemelyan: An ajur similar to ciğerdeldi, used for covering larger surfaces.
• Örümcek: An ajur in which the cut threads exceed the retained ones, varying according to the antique count.
• Kartopu: Similar to örümcek; worked after the weft threads have been removed.
• Çitime: An ajur formed by wrapping threads where more threads are cut than retained.
• Badem: An ajur that can be used together with çitime, applied to large surfaces.
• Susma and Muşabak: Techniques performed without pulling threads, using direct thread-wrapping methods.

These techniques enable the creation of a wide range of designs extending from geometric patterns to natural forms. Each piece carries the artisan’s personal interpretation, making most models unique and difficult to reproduce.

Antep İşi Embroidery (AA)

Cultural Context

Antep İşi is a tradition practiced primarily by women in Gaziantep and transmitted from generation to generation through the master-apprentice relationship. As an indispensable part of the dowry culture, it is stored in trunks and passed down from mother to daughter. This transmission preserves not only technical skills but also cultural values and social memory.

Embroidery serves as a space where women gather, socialize, share experiences, and strengthen cultural bonds. Therefore, Antep İşi is not merely a decorative art but an integral part of social interaction and cultural identity. It has also been highlighted as contributing significantly to the UNESCO social and economic empowerment of women. Traditionally, each piece is crafted by a single woman’s meticulous labor, making personal touch and originality distinguishing features of this cultural heritage.

Historical and Geographical Dimension

Gaziantep, historically located on the Silk Road, has experienced intense interaction with diverse cultures. This position has been decisive in the development of Antep İşi. Fine craftsmanship and intricate motifs from Chinese culture, Russian embroidery techniques, and motifs borrowed from other civilizations have all influenced Antep İşi. These cultural exchanges have enriched the local art and contributed to its international recognition.

Although its origins lie in Gaziantep, Antep İşi has been enriched by cutting and ajur techniques learned from other cultures, transforming it into both a local and universal art form. In this sense, Antep İşi is regarded as a significant element representing cultural continuity within Gaziantep’s 12,000-year historical heritage.

Antep İşi Embroidery (Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality)

Applications

Antep İşi has a broad range of applications beyond dowries, extending to daily life and decorative purposes. It is used on items such as wall hangings, bags, bed and room sets, handkerchiefs, headscarves, shawls, tablecloths, curtains, prayer rugs, and pouches. It is also applied to a wide variety of modern products including presentation handkerchiefs, nightwear sets, robes, clocks, tea sets, scarves, shawls, runners, coasters, cocktail napkins, phone pouches, soap pouches, coin purses, prayer bead pouches, gold pouches, and tray covers.

While white and cream colors were traditionally preferred, today colors and modern designs are also widely used. This diversity allows Antep İşi to preserve its traditional motifs while adapting to contemporary aesthetics. It is also employed in filigree art; modern applications involving wrapping wires around nails exemplify its fusion with new artistic disciplines.

Registration and Regulation

Antep İşi Embroidery is protected as a geographical indication under the category of certification mark, following an application by the Gaziantep Development Foundation. The registration process began on 24 April 2012 and was officially completed on 6 December 2016. This mark, numbered 200, was published in the Official Gazette on 4 September 2015. The geographical boundary is defined as Gaziantep Province, and usage is regulated through marking.

The monitoring process is carried out by a commission composed of representatives from Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, Gaziantep University, and Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of National Education. Annual inspections, conducted at least twice a year, verify criteria including the use of white fabric, threads in white, yellow, or cream tones, the presence of ajur and susma techniques, fabric density and durability, thread pulling and extraction methods, use of natural-colored raw silk, and correct marking. This system ensures the preservation of both the technical features and traditional structure of Antep İşi Embroidery for future generations.

UNESCO Inscription

In 2025, at the 20th Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage meeting held in New Delhi, India, Antep İşi Embroidery was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. With this inscription, Turkey’s number of elements on UNESCO lists rose to 32, maintaining its position as the second country in the world with the most cultural elements registered. The UNESCO report emphasized that Turkey prepared its dossier comprehensively and effectively and commended its efforts to safeguard living heritage.

Antep İşi Embroidery at the 20th Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Meeting (Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality)

At the meeting, Gaziantep Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Şahin emphasized that Antep İşi “has moved from the local to the universal, from tradition to the future,” highlighting its importance both as cultural heritage and as a driver of women’s social and economic empowerment.