Fragment of multiple-niche, or saph, prayer rug, Anatolia, first half of 15th century. Washington, The Textile Museum

In saph carpets, there is no longer a single niche but multiple niches of the same size and shape placed alongside one another, often varying rhythmically in the ground's color and decoration, as in this example. Saph (derived from the Turkish for "row" or "in rows") carpets, also known as family prayer rugs, became popular in the 17th and 18th centuries and were originally intended for collective prayers. Their popularity declined in the 19th century. Ghiordes and Ushak were major producers of this carpet.