Tekemet and syrmak — Kazakh felt carpets

Tekemet is made by soaking layers of coloured wool with hot water and rolling them for a long time, so that the pattern fuses into the felt itself. Syrmak is a mosaic carpet made by stitching together pieces of felt of different colours.

Both most often use the qoshqar müiz — ram's horn — motif, a symbol of strength, prosperity and abundance. Felt carpets covered the floor and walls of the yurt and kept it warm in winter.

Felting was women's shared work: the wool was washed, combed, dyed and then pressed together. Today tekemet and syrmak are used both in traditional homes and in modern interiors.