Pirot sheep

Pirot rug, Pirot carpet or Pirot ćilim (Serbian Cyrillic: Пиротски ћилим, romanized: Pirotski ćilim) refers to a variety of flat tapestry- woven rugs traditionally produced in Pirot, a town in southeastern Serbia. The Pirot kilim is often referred as one of the national symbols of Serbia. While Pirot is the historic center for the production of this carpet style, the Pirot rug is part of a broader history of Balkan rug making, with Pirot style carpets traditionally found across the region, from modern-day Bosnia to Turkey. The Turkish name for the town of Pirot, Şarköy, has also given the name "sarkoy" or "sharkoy" to carpets of the same style produced in modern-day Turkey, while the adjacent town of Chiprovtsi across the border in Bulgaria has become recognized as another important center for this same carpet tradition. Pirot kilim making is the skill of making rugs on a vertical loom. The skill is used in the production of woollen kilims, decorated with various geometric, vegetal and figural ornaments. Today's authentic tapestry has developed under the influence of Oriental weaving. Rug-making in Pirot is included on the list Intangible cultural heritage of Serbia. Together with Chiprovtsi carpets, the Pirot kilims are considered as part of a regional center of carpet weaving native to this mountain region of Eastern Serbia and Western Bulgaria. An example of the patterns from the last periods is the Model of Rašič (Serbian Cyrillic: Рашичева шара, romanized: Rašičeva šara) which was based on ćilim brought by Serbian general Mihailo Rašič. Pirot kilims with some 122 ornaments and 96 different types have been protected by geographical indication in 2002. They are one of the most important traditional handicrafts in Serbia. In the late 19th century and up to the Second World War, Pirot kilims have been frequently used as insignia of Serbian royalty. This tradition was revived in 2011 when Pirot kilims were reintroduced for state ceremonies in Serbia.