Midyat filigree: the story of silver wire

Filigree is made by melting silver, drawing it as thin as a hair and weaving it by hand. The name comes from the Persian for wire-work. Midyat is where the craft survives most strongly in Turkey.

How it is made

The silver is melted into a rod, then pulled through ever smaller holes until it is hair-thin. The master winds this wire onto a frame, bends it and solders it. The wire inside a single earring can run to several metres.

The difficulty is not the fineness but the symmetry: the two halves of a motif must match closely enough that the eye cannot separate them. That is why apprenticeships are long.

Buying in the bazaar

Check the stamp: 925 is the standard for silver jewellery in Turkey. On a hand-woven piece the joins between wires are slightly irregular; flawless uniformity usually means casting or machine work. Price follows labour rather than weight, so two similar pieces can differ widely.

Workshops open early and most masters do not mind being watched while they work. Asking permission and standing there for five minutes changes what the piece means to you.

Where

The filigree bazaar sits in the centre of old Midyat, within walking distance of the mansion. Our Explore page lists the other sites nearby.