Carpet diplomacy; A description of the political position of the eastern carpet in the middle history of Islam (Umayyad and Abbasid periods)

The use of luxurious carpets in political contexts, such as arranging audience halls or welcoming a political figure in a public space, has a long tradition. The diplomatic rites and customs of spreading the red carpet as a gesture of welcome in honor of a political figure, it was a result of the tradition of the middle history of the Islamic period in choosing unique and expensive carpets to decorate public halls, during the visit of political delegations. The political dimension of the carpet has not been investigated so far, and on the other hand, the political use of the carpet in diplomatic relations has its roots in the East and Islamic lands. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the position of the carpet due to its political importance. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine the historical role of the carpet in the court of the Islamic caliphs of the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, so the main question is, "What place did the carpet have in the diplomatic rituals during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods?" The basis of library and documentary studies proved the hypothesis of the use of carpets as a political meaning-making object in the court of Islamic caliphs. It showed that the physical structure of the carpet as an object and its primary quality as a knotted surface with specific borders, a unique space that in diplomatic rituals, is separate from the public domain and acts as a marker of space.
 
Introduction
Carpet is a luxury product and has a special place in the culture of the East. The red carpet is traditionally used to mark the path that heads of state take on official occasions. In general, spreading the red carpet is considered a hospitable and ceremonial act. Therefore, walking on the red carpet also has an honorable nature for political guests. Although the tradition of spreading the red carpet has become common in Europe, however, the historical custom of spreading the carpet in diplomatic meetings has its roots in the medieval period of Islamic history.
Although the tradition of using oriental carpets can be seen in the Middle Ages and the European Renaissance, the oriental and Islamic roots of this tradition are tied to oriental carpets. In any case, in this article, we want to examine the place of the carpet in diplomatic etiquette.
 
Material & Methods 
The political implications of the oriental rug are not in its motifs but in the historical background of its political uses. Therefore, according to the first historical evidence of the use of carpets in the court of the caliphs of the middle history of Islam, the purpose of the present research is to examine the historical meaning of the carpet in the court of the Islamic caliphs of the Umayyad and Abbasid periods. The hypothesis of the research, which is based on the commercial and cultural importance of carpets and related textiles in the mentioned period, and the use of carpets as a political meaning-making object in the court of the Islamic caliphs, will be realized by answering the following questions:

Based on the historical evidence and documents, what was the position of the carpet during the Abbasid and Umayyad periods, in terms of material and culture?
What are the structural features of the carpet that make it susceptible to becoming a semantic element in diplomatic relations?

The current research is a comparative study with a historical and descriptive approach. Data collection is based on documentary and library sources and data analysis is qualitative.
 
Discussion of Results & Conclusions 
Historical sources emphasize the important political role that the carpet played in the court of the Islamic caliphs during the late Umayyad and Abbasid periods. This rug represented the private royal realm in front of or around the Caliph's throne. Its decoration with unique motifs and symbols was intended to emphasize the idea of the carpet as a protected royal territory, and the combined arrangement of geometric and floral carpets may have determined the allocation of ceremonial space in the audience halls. In any case, stepping into it was allowed only with the permission of the caliph and was considered a symbol of mutual trust between the ruler and his subject. The use of luxurious carpets in political contexts, for example, to furnish audience halls or to welcome a political figure in a public space, has a long tradition. The contemporary diplomatic ritual of spreading a red carpet as a welcome gesture in honor of a political figure is a work of the medieval tradition of Islam in choosing unique and expensive carpets to decorate audience halls for visiting diplomatic delegations.
Therefore, the characteristics of the carpet as an object, especially its primary quality as a knotted surface, which is separated and differentiated from the ground surface due to the height of the piles. as well as its marked margins have determined a kind of hierarchy from the margin to the center and top of the carpet; making it an ideal piece for any diplomatic or royal audience. The carpet creates a special space in the court, separate from the public realm. It is a marker of space, so it is not surprising that today's narrow red carpet - a kind of side carpet - indicates a certain path that a person or group of people should take during the welcome ceremony.
 
Discussion of Results & Conclusions  
Historical sources emphasize the important political role that the carpet played in the court of the Islamic caliphs during the late Umayyad and Abbasid periods. This rug represented the private royal realm in front of or around the Caliph's throne. Its decoration with unique motifs and symbols was intended to emphasize the idea of the carpet as a protected royal territory, and the combined arrangement of geometric and floral carpets may have determined the allocation of ceremonial space in the audience halls. In any case, stepping into it was allowed only with the permission of the caliph and was considered a symbol of mutual trust between the ruler and his subject. The use of luxurious carpets in political contexts, for example, to furnish audience halls or to welcome a political figure in a public space, has a long tradition. The contemporary diplomatic ritual of spreading a red carpet as a welcome gesture in honor of a political figure is a work of the medieval tradition of Islam in choosing unique and expensive carpets to decorate audience halls for visiting diplomatic delegations.
Therefore, the characteristics of the carpet as an object, especially its primary quality as a knotted surface, which is separated and differentiated from the ground surface due to the height of the piles. as well as its marked margins have determined a kind of hierarchy from the margin to the center and top of the carpet; making it an ideal piece for any diplomatic or royal audience. The carpet creates a special space in the court, separate from the public realm. It is a marker of space, so it is not surprising that today's narrow red carpet - a kind of side carpet - indicates a certain path that a person or group of people should take during the welcome ceremony.