Pirot kilim making is the skill of making rugs on a vertical loom, using the tapestry weaving technique. The skill is used in the production of woollen kilims, decorated with various geometric, vegetal and figural ornaments arranged within the central area (field) and a system of bordures. The prevailing colour in the Pirot kilims is red, in several shades; the most commonly used figural elements include lizards, birds, scorpions, stag beetles, doves, whereas the most common vegetal ornaments are: branched trees, roses, wreaths, etc. In older kilims, patterns are smaller and more harmoniously distributed, whereas the more recent pieces feature larger ornaments. As a multifunctional object used in furnishing urban interiors in Pirot, as well as in other cities in Serbia, the kilim was transformed into a visual symbol of the city of Pirot and, over time, the Serbian national symbol.
The skill of weaving kilims was developed as part of the heritage of the female population in the sphere of craft knowledge and skills in the Pirot region in southeastern Serbia.
