Two buying trips a year give me the hots and colds of Turkey. My January winter trip sees me visit Istanbul only, when it's best to spend time in the warehouses where there is always plenty of hot apple tea and freshly baked pizzas and kebabs.

On my summer trips we get out to visit the arid, land-locked areas of Central and Eastern Anatolia where most of the population is village based, relying on agriculture for their livelihoods.

In Turkey, weaving is done by women – wives and mothers who fit their craft in between farming and family duties. As she weaves, a woman may meditate upon her past, her loves, her sorrows and dreams, or dwell upon her hopes for her daughter as she helps weave the carpet for her dowry.

Each carpet is somehow imbued with a sense of history and folklore. To me, viewing a traditional Turkish rug is like reading the life story of a woman I've never met, but into whose life I’ve been allowed a brief glimpse.

Today there is a serious concentration of extremely high quality rugs and carpets in Turkey. Traditional rugs come mainly in geometric designs with the dominant tones being reds and blues.

In Konya, we’re able to get some beautiful rugs in soft terracottas, blues, golds and greens that look great on tiled floors. Some of the other famous weaving districts include Milas, Yagcebedir, Yahyali, Docemealti, Hereke and Kars.