Oushak (Ushak) are famed and fabled rugs woven in the weaving center of Usak, Turkey. Once known as "Smyrna" carpets because they were exported through the port of Izmir, Turkey (formerly Smyrna), Oushaks have been sought-after in Europe for centuries. Recorded as valuable objects in Western paintings from the Renaissance onwards, the popularity of Oushaks, sometimes known as "Turkey carpets", continued to rise in the UK and US in the 18th and 19th centuries. A medallion Turkey carpet (Oushak) is represented in a 1795 painting of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. Woven with a symmetrical Ghiordes or Turkish knot, the desirability of these carpets derives from pattern, colors, and wool, not from the number of knots. While Oushaks have a lower knot count than some prized rugs, the lower count creates a rich and durable texture. Oushaks are highly decorative and feature large geometric medallions often with pendant medallions, arabesque palmettes, and patterned borders. Flower and leaf motifs include long jagged-edged "sawtooth" leaves. Some borders feature interlaced knots (pseudo-Kufic). Some Oushak designs are tightly focused such as the central medallion style, while others blossom to repeat in multiple directions. Peshawar rugs in the Oushak style have been woven from the mid twentieth century onwards in Peshawar, Pakistan largely by Afghan weavers, but are now also woven in Afghanistan. Sometimes referred to as Ghasni or Chobi rugs, hand-knotted wool Peshawar rugs feature classic Persian and Oushak pattern with all-over designs of palmettes and small medallions, but with a less dense pile and a deliberate antique look achieved through a limited range of pale tones such as ivory and muted shades of gold. For this reason, new Oushaks are particularly popular with interior designers because they fit seamlessly into decor ranging from traditional to eclectic to contemporary.