Ornek is a traditional ornament used in the applied arts of the Crimean Tatar people arranged to create a narrative composition and is embellished on clothes, fabrics, jewelry, furniture, architectural objects, and tombstones. It was one of the oldest cultural achievements of the Crimean Tatar people.
These unique pieces of world culture are linked by their theme and symbolism with the Scythian and ancient civilizations in Crimea. They are also linked with the ancient eras of the Byzantine and Turkic civilizations that passed through this land. They are especially connected to the Crimean Tatars and reached their peak as part of the Crimean Khanate from the second half of the 15th century until the end of the 17th century.
This ornamental art is the product of a long, difficult, and tedious process of synthesis, receiving its development, and continuing to evolve. A peculiar system of production was prevalent in the Crimean Khanate. There were workshops in every major city in the country, offering a range of products for weavers, jewelers, embroiderers, furriers, and tinsmiths.
The Crimean nobility bought items of high quality. They also found buyers in other countries. The domestic arts of embroidery and weaving were also quite common, in addition to professional handicraft production.
Geometric ornaments are commonly used in weaving, while floral ornaments are used in other folk crafts. These include glass painting, wall painting, and canvas wall art, all of which are not traditionally practiced by Crimean Tatars. Common symbols include plants and trees, which represent people of different genders and ages.
There are around thirty-five symbols, each representing a different individual. Roses symbolize married women, tulips symbolize young men, and almonds symbolize unmarried women or girls. Carnations symbolize a person with wisdom and experience in life.
The color palette and symbols of the flowers are always emphasized. For instance, a tulip within a rose symbolizes love or union between a man and a woman. Symbols are often used as protective charms.
A Crimean Tatar ornament and its elements are an integral part of the identity and life of a Crimean Tatar family. For a long time, a Crimean Tatar family would decorate their home with decorative and utility items depicting ornaments. These goods with ornamental images became the pride of the family, and they were stored and handed down from generation to generation.
Knowledge can be passed from generation to generation in the cultural and historical aspects of people's lives, whether they are in informal contexts like embroidery classes or formal contexts such as universities. In all stages of life, ornament-like objects are used in the birth, courtship, marriage, circumcision, in homes, and in funeral rituals.