Kazakh woven carpets fall into three general categories: pile carpets (tuktyi), flat-woven carpets (takhyr), functional and decorative tent bands for yurts (baskur, bau) made in a combination-technique. Other textiles include hand woven tuskyesteh, wall carpets (tuskiyiz) with heavy hand embroidery, saddle bag (khorzhyn), hand woven tassels (shashakh) for decoration of clothes and the yurt, hand woven men’s outerwear (shekpen), mats made off needlegrass (shiy), and many other ceremonial and textile products. Traditional wall felt carpets were decorated with mosaics, velvet applique, woolen cloth (with a U-shaped border) or embroidery made with colored thread made of different materials (woolen cloth, velvet, cotton) which was then sewn on the felt base. Tuz kiiz differ in that they, apart from solar signs, featured unusually rich and colorful flora (winding stems, leaves, trefoils, lotus flowers, buds, trees, pomegranates) that were to magically foster happiness and prosperity of the family.

Syrmakh (syru means “stitch”) is another iconic wall and floor carpet made in traditional nomadic technique. There are around 20 syrmakh making techniques. To name but a few: akh syrmakh (white rug), oyuly syrmakh (colourful inlay pattern rug), oyistyrylghan/tyor syrmakh (solid color fabric appliqué on a white felt), syru (stitched pattern on felt), zhyiek syrmak (stitched felt rug with borders), kestelyi syrmakh (a felt rug embroidered with satin stitch). A pattern can be stitched to the background using bitpes (hand twisted cord), or zhyiek (hand weaved cord). An artisan can make syrmakh using a combination of techniques. The size of syrmakhs can vary from 1 to 6 meters and consist of 5 parts stitched together (1 bas or central part and 4 khol or borders). An artisan will spend from several weeks up to one year to make one syrmak. Traditional felt making is practiced by the artisans of southern and western Kazakhstan. The Union of Artisans of Kazakhstan revitalises the tradition by conducting trainings and master-classes on felting and its popularisation. Tekemets and syrmakhs are widely used in official celebrations, during holidays, for yurt decorations and in rituals. As well, modern interior and fashion designers use traditional techniques and materials in their work.

Colorful yurt tent bands (baskur, bau, zhel bau) are made using combination-technique (flat and pile weaving). Yurt bands are an integral part of yurt and easy to produce; they are woven in every region of Kazakhstan. Both the bands and flat-woven carpets are woven on a special narrow loom which is also employed to weave a number of narrow strips that would then be sewn together to create alasha rugs. To achieve the dynamic look of a carpet, alasha were either made from strips of different colors or with designs and pile reliefs. The basic production material is sheep’s wool, goat wool and horse hair, natural cotton and silk fibers. It is also common to add camel or goat wool to warp yarn to add durability. Yurt decorations are best understood starting from the dome or uppermost region of the structure, which was traditionally adorned by patterned baskur and bau bands, and colorful shashak tassels. The baskur strips tied up the roof poles (uyk and kerege) of a yurt and its latticework (kerege) around the perimeter and decorated the joints between the kerege and the dome. The bau bands ran diagonally under the wooden poles and were fastened to outer felt covers. In addition to their functionality, they also served as decoration for the dome of the yurt. The bau and baskur bands were made using a variety of techniques and colors. The shashak tassels were also an important decorative and protective item. Like twinkling stars they shimmered, moved by air entering the yurt through the shanyrak - a circular opening at the top that symbolized the limitless eternal sky. Wall rugs are another significant decorative aspect of Kazakh yurts. These include pile items (tukti kilem, or kaly kilem) and flat-woven textiles (takyr kilem, takta kilem, taz kilem, araby kilem, beskeste kilem, badnas kilem, alasha, and many others). There are also rugs made using chain stitch (loop-type stitches in a continuous row )- tus kilem, biz kilem, and ilme kilem. Carpets adorned the walls of a yurt and served as insulation. They covered its floors and were also used as covers for loaded camels during migration. In addition, they were an indispensable part of a bride's dowry, were given as presents to guests at celebrations, and were used to wrap the dead before burial.