Approximately 25,000 rugs from around the world are sent to Dosemealti to be cleaned, repaired, and laid out across nearly 500 acres to sizzle in the sun. Over several weeks the rugs are washed, dried, and dusted before being laid out in the scorching heat of the sun. After a month in the field sunning, the rugs soften and dyes fade, the rugs are picked up and are ready to be sold or shipped back to their owners. During the day, the workers regularly turn their carpets inside out for evenness.

Photograph taken in June 2024

About F. Dilek Yurdakul:
Dilek is a highly accomplished travel and documentary photographer from Ankara, Turkey. Dilek is also a lawyer and a skilled skydiver. She took up photography as an escape from the courthouse and life after she quit skydiving. That spark turned into a fire which led her to be named National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year in 2017. Fighting through challenges that are typical of what women face in male-dominated spheres, she has not only made many proud with her accomplishments but has also inspired a whole new generation of female photographers.

Dilek, a TEDx speaker, is also a contributing photographer for National Geographic YS and National Geographic Turkey. She teaches photography at Ankara Bilim University in Ankara, Turkey. She is also a jurist for some of the most prestigious photography awards in the world, such as those given by National Geographic. In 2020, she was named IPA Photographer of the Year (Deeper Perspective). In 2021, she was named Best Reportage Photographer of the Year at the 6th 35 Awards. She was also named Sony World Photography Award and was the third-place winner at the HIPA Humanity Awards (Story Telling).

As a female photographer, lawyer, and mother from Turkey, she is a big champion of women’s rights and issues and advocates for saying yes to change. Her goal is to increase social awareness and recognition with her stories and to inspire young women in her country and all over the world.

License: Primary NFT holder is free to use in display privately and in groups, including virtual galleries, documentaries, and essays by the holder of the NFT, as long as creator is credited. Provides no rights to create commercial merchandise, commercial distribution, or derivative works. Copyright remains with creator.