Some of the f,nest examples of Turkish carpets are the seccades to be found in the mosques and museums of Turkey. The word "seccade" comes from the Arabic "secd" to pray, and it became a floor covering, and later took the form of a carpet, as an expression of cleanliness, at the same time as being a reflection of the religious function of the mosque. The use of a floor - covering for this purpose is not known in early Islam, where prayer was a communal event fot which prayer even bare ground sufficed. The major function of the seccade is to serve as a reminder of the mihrab, the symbol of the gate of heaven, for prayer outside the mosque. It became, with time, a status symbol of sorts, utilising a colour not often seen on floor - carpets, the sacred green. Communal, or "Saph" seccades, dating from 15th to the 19th centruies, containing rows of mihrabs for communal prayer, are among those carpets to be found in the Museum of Turkish ...