The kilim is a rug that is hand-woven and normally used for a wall decoration as opposed to a floor covering. These flat-woven rugs are typically made in areas of Turkey and Persia. Made with natural materials and dyes, these treasured collector items and works of art are a form of folk art, and symbolic in their patterns and designs. Typically, the origin of the rug can be determined by the colors, differences in style, and the patterns.

The question still remains as to which country actually developed the kilim in the first place. For Turkey, the kilim has become more than a practical object. It is a source of revenue, and is so deeply regarded that one region has gone so far as to claim that they were the originators of this rug. The Anatolian region design, the Afyon, has been patented, and evidence of previous rugs have been found dating back as far as the 7th century. Every region has its particular pattern style and colors, that are found in no other region. For the Afyon kilim, the colors are normally pink, blue, green, yellow, and a shade of apricot. The patterns themselves are large geometric shapes.

While the kilim industry is important to the Turkish economy, the question of how they are made and by whom arises. Child labor, underpaid workers, sweatshops, and other human rights violations have been noted and those that are interested in purchasing one of these works of art are concerned about the process that produced them. Recent developments in Turkey where compulsory education is concerned has seemed to be a step in the right direction, however there is still cause to believe that other human rights issues, such as honor killings, and police torture have not been eliminated. In some cases, however, the ability of young women to create these rugs has taken some of the pressure from them to marry at a very young age. If they can support themselves by making kilims, they are no longer a burden to the family unit, and may be somewhat self-sufficient.

While once a personal expression of art, religion, and locality, the kilim has developed into an industry that boosts the economy of specific regions, and provides tourists with a beautiful and unique souvenir. Every one of these are as unique as the artist that weaved them, and older examples are historical as well as beautiful.