Hakan Karar, President and CEO
Message from the President
A message from the president about ARARAT's mission and vision;
I am deeply grateful for the support we have received from all our customers.
The Oriental rug market was mainly based in Europe and the US, and most of the oriental rug production was to meet the demands of the Western market. Since we started the oriental rug business in Japan, my viewpoint on rug production has changed. Because, unlike other modern countries where mechanization has wiped out craftsmen, Japan, through ups and downs, has managed to pass down the centuries-old unique handicraft culture from generation to generation, preserving traditional techniques still continues today while also incorporating materials and designs in line with the times.
Kimono is quite a good example; there are some workshops in Kyoto such as Kawashima Orimono which was established more than 200 years ago and is still thriving to this day.
When my father went to Germany for his PhD work at Bochum University, he realized that the rugs and kilims he surrounded in his childhood were an art for westerns, but it was just daily using materials for him.
Like my father, having spent nearly half of my life in Japan and learning its culture, I have realized that there is a greater meaning in what we do. We are keeping the art of handcrafted rug-making alive in an ever-growing mass production and consumption era.
Health comes first amid the COVID-19 pandemic and so I wish to extend my best wishes to all our customers. Please take good care of yourselves and stay safe. I sincerely appreciate your ongoing support.
July 2021
President and CEO
Hakan KARAR
