Ala-kiyiz in making

Ala kiyiz, or tekemet, is a decorative style used for textile floor or wall coverings created by pressing together wet, soaped wool in various colors to form felt. This felt carpet-making technique is a traditional folk art practiced by the nomadic Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Mongolian peoples of the Tien Shan mountains and Central Asian steppes for over 2,500 years. Among the various ornamentation methods, ala kiyiz is one of the most widespread, alongside shyrdak.Traditionally, the colorful felts were crafted from locally sourced sheep's wool sheared in the autumn. These carpets serve both as insulation and decoration for the yurt or ger, a portable round tent used as a home by nomadic peoples across Central Asia. In 2012, Kyrgyz felt carpets, including ala kiyiz and shyrdak, were added to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting their urgent need for protection.