Melas prayer rugs were among the first I ever dealt with, even since I acquired one in New York while I was a college student. The prayer rugs of this area are particularly interesting as they seem to offer countless variations on a common theme. Here the interior of the niche is punctuated by clusters of border motifs, almost representing the weaver’s repertoire. In the actual border she opted for the carnation design, but seemed to have second thoughts as she approached the indentation of the niche.