Agul (also writtengol,göl andgül) is a medallion-like design element typical of traditional hand-woven carpets fromCentral andWest Asia. In Turkmen weavings they are often repeated to form the pattern in the main field.

Gul are medallions, oftenoctagonal, and often somewhat angular on a generally octagonal plan, though they can be somewhat rounded within the constraints of carpet-weaving, and some are lozenge-shaped (rhombuses). They usually have eithertwofold rotational symmetry or mirrorreflection symmetry (often both left/right and up/down).^[1]

Gul were historically described in the West as being elephant's foot motifs. Other Western guesses held that thegul was a drawing of a round Turkmen tent, with lines between tents representing irrigation canals; or that the emblem was atotemic bird. None of these descriptions have any basis in weaving tradition or culture.^[2]

The termgul,gol,göl orgül is used widely across Central and West Asia, and among carpet specialists in the West. It is derived from thePersian word gol (گل) which means flower or rose.^[3][4]

InTurkmen weavings, such as bags and rugs, guls are often repeated to form the basic pattern in the main field (excluding the border).^[4][5]

The different Turkmen tribes such asTekke,Salor,Ersari andYomut traditionally wove a variety of guls, some of ancient design, but gul designs were often used by more than one tribe, and by non-Turkmens.^[4][5]

Western authors have used comparison of the "design vocabulary" of tribal guls, reproduced on traditional rugs, in studying theethnogenesis of Asian peoples.^[6]

Western artists includingHans Memling depictedoriental carpets from Turkish Anatolia with guls in several of his paintings, to the extent that these are known asMemling carpets. These guls often contain star or (hooked) dragonmotifs as found on 15th centuryKonya carpets.^[7] The presence of the hooked motif defines a "Memling carpet".^[8] The artistsLorenzo Lotto andHans Holbein who similarly depicted Anatolian carpets also have the varieties they painted named after them.^[9]

• Islamic geometric patterns
• Kilim motifs
• Flag of Turkmenistan

• Louise W. Mackie, Jon Thompson (1980).Turkmen, tribal carpets and traditions.Textile Museum (Washington, D.C.).

• Ornaments
• Symmetry
• Culture of Asia
• National symbols of Turkmenistan
• Turkic rugs and carpets
• Visual motifs
• Textile patterns
• Islamic art

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• Short description is different from Wikidata