Chiprovtsi kilim

Chiprovtsi kilim

Chiprovtsi kilim
Type	Carpeting
Material	Wool and cotton
Production method	Weaving
Production process	Handicraft
Place of origin	Chiprovtsi, Bulgaria
Introduced	17th century

Chiprovtsi kilims (Bulgarian: Чипровски килим, Chiprovski kilim) are handmade flatwoven kilim rugs with two identical sides, part of Bulgarian national heritage, traditions, arts and crafts and pertain to the Western Bulgarian kilim weaving tradition. Their name is derived from the town of Chiprovtsi where their production started in the 17th century.

The basic colours are yellow, brown, red, blue and green. The first carpets were in only two colours - red and black. This unique and typically Bulgarian craft flourished during the Bulgarian National Revival. The carpets are made of natural materials like cotton and wool. Their thickness is 3–5 mm.

The kilim making of Chiprovtsi was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of UNESCO in 2014.^[1] While a distinct local tradition, the Chiprovtsi carpets are part of a broader Balkan kilim tradition found across the region and historically centered in the area around the Balkan mountains today located in both Eastern Serbia and Western Bulgaria. The Chiprovtsi carpet is thus associated as a specific type of the historic Pirot carpet.