Moroccan Crafts with Store Culture

Moroccan Crafts with Store Culture..Morocco holidays

Moroccan Carpet Styles
Traditional Berber carpets contain distinctive patterns and colors and are woven from sheep wool or camel hair (you can also find them made from nylon and olefin material). The materials are hand-washed and naturally dyed from saffron yellow, to wild mint green, and from pomegranate and henna. These carpets are known for their strong geometric designs, and have been dated them as far back as the Merinid era. Carpets in the Middle Atlas generally have a traditional diamond grid.
Moroccan Carpet Climates
The Berber tribes developed a variety of weaves to be adaptable to different climates. The rugs in the mountains have larger loops, are more loosely knotted to provide protection against the cold. In warmer climates the rugs are made with a finer weave. The carpets in the Middle Atlas were used as sleeping mats, and in regions with mild climates knots tend to be 2cm high.
Moroccan Carpet History
Berber weaving is highly dependent on the female culture, and is passed down traditionally within the home. The young apprentice is expected to learn the the different looping techniques, patterns, colour ranges and motifs. Historically women wove carpets for their families, and men traditionally produced carpets that were more specialized as professional master weavers. These inspiring designs have been motivation for more modern carpet fabrication.
Historically carpets where a preferred gift for people in elite social classes and where used to adorn palaces and other sacred places. The more urban carpets have also been used at prayer mats and rugs in the hammam. Travelers who are interested in Berber carpet weaving should check out the Weavers Cooperative, and the Berber Carpet Demonstration, a famous exhibition. Some ancient Haouz rugs are also preserved in museums such as the Dar Batha Museum.
These intricate rugs can be purchased from the tribes themselves but also in the winding souks of Fes, Marrakech and Rabat or right here in our moroccan carpet shop.
Traditional Berber Carpets  Haouz
Carpets originating in the hills and plains of the Haouz region do not tend to follow traditional designs or rules. In this region, the weavers stress the freedoms of the individual throughout the composition. The carpets have a distinctive style and are often captivating works of art.
Moroccan Art Form
The bold colors, in depth patterns and weaving techniques of  different regions have their own distinct style. Each tribe has a signature pattern and commonly unfold a story, revealing acts of ceremony, or designs that often relate to fertility and protection. Like any other type of abstract art, interpretations can be better guided with additional knowledge of the culture, songs and legends.
For a selection of these fine hand made carpets please visit our Moroccan carpet store.

And there are hundreds of them, in convoluted mazes: cave-like spaces in which men hammer, weld, sculpt wood, sew and, of course, cajole and seduce passers-by. For the first day or so, getting lost in the maze, taking in shelves stacked with intricately inlaid cedar boxes, glimmering silk babouche slippers, bottles of spices, tribal jewellery, and carefully wrought iron lamps, is a treat. But then confusion sets in. How to tell real from fake? Just where does one find the best?
For the past decade or so, most serious shoppers have relied on a band of fashion-conscious expats – Laetitia Trouillet, Elena Masera, Maryam Montague – to guide them through the souks and source delectable, not-too-ethnic wares. Trouillet is the best-known, the woman called on to take visitors such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Sarah Jessica Parker round the most elegant stores, who knows where to get soft-as-butter shoes in the style of Tod's or Prada (Atika); cool cowboy boots patched with Berber weaving (Michèle Baconnier); understated modern kaftans in rough white and cream silks (Moor); and seriously hip bags (Trouillet's own boutique).
But since the official local guides recently took exception to foreigners muscling in on their well-paid patch, these expat shopping experts have been legally restricted to running just their own shops or riads and dispensing advice on a non-official basis. Which is why the publication of a new book by American writer Susan Simon, Shopping Marrakech, is a godsend to visitors wanting advice from non-partisan sources rather than the official guides, many of whom are paid by touristy shops to bring in custom.
The little book is split into seven walks, each listing a range of shops to stop off at, a recommended lunch stop, and clear directions. It's utterly brilliant. For those who have just one day, I would recommend Walk No 3, into the heart of the old souk. For fashionistas who want high-class fashion, No 7 is best.
Having spent four days walking the souks in search of the city's gems, taking in the advice of guides, fashion editors, local blogs and clued-up residents – as well as frequently looking at the book – I now have an idea of the very best shops [see top right]. Most will ship goods, but getting something sent home often doubles the price.
A smarter idea is simply to take a large empty suitcase.

It was the sight of about a dozen yellow-eyed speckled snakes surrounded by turbanned men swaying to the sound of cacophonous pipes and drums that brought me to a standstill in the bustling expanse of Jemaa el Fna square. For a moment I felt as if I'd been transported to another age, to some exotic place of intrigue and adventure – and that I wasn't simply a 21st-century traveller who'd just arrived on EasyJet.
The snake-owners were nomads, desert dwellers who have learnt to live with snakes – and, in towns, to use them to extract money from fascinated onlookers. Around them, life went on as it has done for centuries. Groups of men squatted around storytellers. Traditional water-sellers in garish red outfits hung with brass mugs shouted into the smoky night air. Laden donkeys trotted through the crowds, their owners exhorting people to make way. The scent of the oranges on sale mingled with the pungent smell of animals and smoke.
Being there, right then, felt like being on the set of a movie. But then, that is what Marrakech has become: a destination reeling out real and manufactured fantasies; part-ancient, part-Disney, where Africa meets Arabia, where fortune-tellers and open-air dentists live cheek-by-jowl in a seething stew of humanity with American heiresses, Italian fashion editors and busloads of tourists led by flag-waving guides.
In the 1950s and 60s, when Churchill brought Roosevelt here to take in the desert scenery, when James Stewart and Doris Day hung out at La Mamounia with Alfred Hitchcock, and when the Rolling Stones were photographed here by Cecil Beaton, this square and the surrounding souks were where local people came to meet and shop. Today, while locals still throng the streets, many of the souk's stalls are clearly designed for foreigners.

Marrakech and Fez shopping

In the medinas of Morocco’s Marrakesh and Fez, business is still conducted like it has been for centuries and an integral of part of that is bargaining. While a way of life in many cultures where price tags are non existent, haggling can be intimidating for the uninitiated.

Marrakesh is hardcore and one of the worst places in Morocco to buy a carpet. It’s a tourist mecca, resulting in a higher price to fleecing ratio. But since most first time visitors go to Marrakesh during some point of their trip I’ll focus on it. It’s the extreme. If you can haggle successfully there you can haggle anywhere.

Upon entering any carpet shop you will be offered a warm welcome and asked a series of questions, disguised as small talk, which are used to calculate how high your starting price will be. The carpet merchant, like any good salesman, is qualifying your spending potential. Here are some of the typical questions and a translation of their underlying meaning:

Where are you from? If you are from North America, Japan, Western Europe, The U.K. and Australia the starting price will be higher.

Have you been to Morocco/Marrakesh before? If you say no, the price goes up.

How long have you been in Marrakesh? The less time the higher the price.

How long have you been in Morocco? Same as above.

Haggling is a dance that requires time, patience and humor. You can easily spend a few hours from start to finish buying a carpet. During this time a plethora will be deftly unfolded and placed before you on the floor. There will be mint tea to drink. After a significant array has been displayed the process of elimination begins. Naturally don’t be overly enthusiastic when you’ve found something you like. While carpets you have given the thumbs down to are taken away expect to hear, “ Tell me which one you like, you are my first customer of the day so I’ll give you a special price and it will bring me good luck,” and similar variations.

When the elimination is complete it’s time for the grand finale--the big price reveal of your potential purchase. An outrageously high figure will be quoted. Exasperation and anger will get you nowhere. Offer a fraction of that price, a quarter perhaps, but do so with humility. Your offer will be met like an insult, with incredulous looks and a song and dance about the fine quality of the workmanship, the woman who worked six months weaving and other psychological warfare ploys to tap your guilt vault. It’s all part of the game. Keep your poker face and cool and smile periodically while the dramatics continue. They will be followed by a better price, at which point you up your ante a bit. This process is repeated until a price is agreed.

If , however, you reach an impasse on price there is one last move. Thank the merchant for his time, the good tea, apologize for not being able to afford his goods and walk to the door. About 99% of the time he will come after you asking your “final” best price or lowering his.

The big question of course is what is a fair price? What you are willing to pay is the right price. Keep a figure in mind and stick to it. To get an idea of prices I suggest visiting government run artist cooperatives, which are typically listed in the usual suspects of guide books. They have fixed prices and the quality is consistently good but the prices will be higher than if you successfully bargain. And of course you miss out on the experience.

Top Bargaining Tips:

-During the initial screening don’t say you just got to town
-If you like something don’t show it
-Keep your cool no matter how hard
-Be polite
-Don’t let the guilt ploys tug at your purse strings
-If you are quoted an overly outrageous price come back with an outrageously low counter offer to give you some leverage
-Prepare to spend a few hours
-Check out artists cooperatives to get an idea of price
-Know what your budget is and don’t exceed it
-Finally, if you really don’t want to purchase something don’t no matter what dramatics ensue

Carpets of morocco.. Moroccan carpets and textiles

Carpets of Morocco.. Moroccan carpets and textiles 
Carpets. Moroccan carpets and textiles come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, designs, and materials. Some are still hand-knotted and dyed with natural vegetable pigments. Berber (or rural) carpets are often thick and woolen and their colors—beige, brown, and tan—reflect the mountainous landscape where the Berbers live. Urban carpets, introduced to Morocco from the east in the 18th century, often feature a multitude of designs in bands of unequal width within a rectangular frame. Top quality can cost thousands of dirhams. Fez has been the country's principal center of weaving since the 16th century while small country souks (markets) outside of Marrakech are good spots to find something special. Meknes and Rabat are known for their embroidered carpets.

Leather goods. Moroccan artisans produce a wide variety of leather goods, from unpolished bags and satchels to Koran covers and babouches, the quintessential Moroccan slipper, flat-soled and heel-less, most often white, beige, yellow, or red in color. As with Moroccan carpets, quality and price often go hand in hand when purchasing the leather goods found in most cities' souks. In Fez, as in other cities, you can even see the elaborate process of preparing the animal skins and dyeing the leather in vats of salts, oils, and dyes.

Jewelry. Mostly silver, Moroccan jewelry can be chunky and heavy, often bearing deeply etched designs. Production techniques include casting, enameling, filigree, and engraving. Andalusian and Jewish immigrants have influenced many of these techniques. Products include bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, and even decorated daggers. Beware of silver-plating. As with all Moroccan handicrafts, the souks, often within every major city's medina, will feature a wide range of jewelry in terms of type, quality, and price.

Marquetry. An intricate art form, marquetry is a decorative process in which wooden goods are inlaid with veneers, copper and silver wire, ebony, and mother of pearl in floral or geometric patterns. Moroccan artisans inlay a variety of products including furniture, picture frames, ornaments, chess sets, and trinket boxes. While an item's quality of finish may be less than ideal, best check the item's hinges and joints to be sure you're getting a good product (and deal). The woodworkers' atelier in Essaouira is the best place to buy marquetry products and to watch them be painstakingly created. The woodworkers in Marrakech and Azrou use local cedar and olive tree wood. In Fez, the products are typically brightly painted chests and baby cribs.

Ceramics. From rough-hewn, utilitarian glazed red and brown earthenware to enameled decorative pieces, Moroccan artisans create a wide variety of ceramics: jugs, vases, and tableware (cups, saucers, and cooking pots to make tagines). Some are glazed, others bedecked with gilt motifs; intricate, geometric, curved, or cross-stitched designs; and a variety of glazed or metallic finishes. Beware of the gaudy products peddled in touristed towns. Safi, the country's main ceramics center, is known for its darker-colored ceramics while Fez's artisans produce attractive cobalt blue pieces and Meknes is known for its well-finished Damascene ware.

Clothing. The djellabah, an ankle-length, loose-fitting robe with a pointed hood is Moroccans' traditional dress. Some are made of fine wool while others are composed of homespun yarn. Women's djellabahs are often made with a greater range of fabric types, tend to be tighter fitting, and often bear decorative stitching while men's are baggier, plainer, and generally lighter in color.

Brass and copperware. Fez and Marrakech are best known for their brass and copperware; trays, braziers, door knockers, teapots, incense burners, candelabras, and lanterns. Many bear Arabesque or floral motifs. Wrought-iron legs can be added to the largest trays to make a unique table for entertaining. Sapphire, ruby, emerald, and topaz-colored sheets of glass are added to the lanterns to project a brooding, mysterious aura when lit.

The Moroccan Urban Carpets love affair with carpets

The Moroccan Urban Carpets love affair with carpets 
Urban Carpets, Carpets creator

The contemporary carpets creator URBAN CARPETS allows you to discover its high quality collection, designed by Sylvie PRENANT. Thanks to our products, you will be able to decorate your house and make your grounds come alive.



Moroccan carpets are the height of fashion right now and because of their beauty, versatility, and compatability with almost any interior, they are appearing in beautiful homes, hotels and interior and design magazines the world over.

Moroccans and riad owners have always had a long standing love of carpets. Carpets are cherished items, which are meticulously cared for. They are investment pieces that ground rooms and provide them with the basis for the palette of their decor. A beautiful carpet is indeed the foundation of riad interior design, not to mention artwork for a floor. Everything works off their vibe. Accordingly, here they are considered one of the most important furnishing of all.

Moroccan carpets therefore don't just serve a practical function in riads, they ultimately enhance the living space.


Carpets and rugs vary greatly in design and colouring from region to region.

There are two distinct types of carpets in Morocco: urban Islamic carpets and rural tribal carpets.

Rabat is the historic centre of the Moroccan urban Islamic carpet making tradition and its pile weave carpets are referred to as Rabat, or R'bati carpets. They are formal in style, and much more sophisticated, with extremely diverse coloration. It is not uncommon for them to require months of painstaking work to complete.

Urban carpet making in Rabat can be traced back to the 18th century, and was greatly influenced and inspired by formal styles and techniques from neigbouring Mediterranean countries and the Middle East from where there was always a marked cultural exchange.

For Moroccans, urban carpets are utilitarian as much as works of art.

Urban carpets tend to be thicker and have larger borders than rural tribal carpets. Their designs, like any Islamic art form, consist of stylized geometric patterns. These are centred upon a central motif that works its way to a highly detailed border, which echoes the central motif - like in the above photo. One of the most striking features to them are their rich yarns and lustrous colours.




The other type of carpets are rural tribal carpets, which are produced by the hundreds of different ethnic tribal groups, of mainly Berber origin, scattered across Morocco.

Tribal carpet making pre-dates the urban tradition. It is considerably older in fact and is, interestingly, centred predominantly upon less formal, pre-Islamic designs and styles.

Berbers historically, were insular by nature and their carpet making was not influenced by the outside world. Traditionally carpets were made for simply personal and domestic use by women for their own families, who passed weaving techniques down through the generations. The designs and techniques they employed were therefore a remarkable and authentic expression of their unique culture – as they still are today.

Carpets are normally used as bedding, floor coverings or blankets. They are flat-woven, though some are pile rugs, and their designs feature abstract expressive and individual imagery often reflecting superstitious and spiritual beliefs such as wards against the evil eye. For example, wedding blankets are thought to be filled with baraka, or divine blessings, and their mass of sequins supposedly ward off the malevolence that brides are believed to be vulnerable to.

The colouring is more natural than in Rabat rugs and the most sought after carpets have little repetition of design.



Undoubtedly my favourite carpets come from the Beni Ouarain - who are an important Berber tribe from the Middle Atlas mountain region.

The main characteristic of a Beni Ouarain carpet is the shaggy pile - (as above).

Beni Ouarain carpets are all hand loomed in lovely soft bouncy wool shorn from sheep rather than wool removed from a sheepskin. It means they are especially warm and comfortable under foot.

Each carpet is a unique organic piece and highly collectible. No two are ever alike.

Somehow they never fail to compliment and enhance space, and I simply love the creamy golden beige shaggy piles I have in our Marrakech home – that function so nicely on the cold tadelakt flooring. Their zigzag and lozenge designs are particularly cool.



When it comes to buying a carpet, you should inquire about knot density and both the type of dye and fiber used. Better quality carpets have a higher number of knots per square meter, are handmade and constructed from 100% wool or 100% nylon.

Cheaper carpets made of, for example, olefin, are readily available, but these carpets are highly flammable (moving a chair across the carpet can even create scorch marks), they attract more dirt and gray over time. It is also worth noting that synthetic dyes produce bolder colors, but are more likely to fade over time, whereas natural dyes produce lighter long lasting colors.

Chic Marrakech are happy to recommend some reputable carpets dealers.

EASTERN MOROCCO

EASTERN MOROCCO

This image shows an area of eastern Morocco. Morocco is located in northwest Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, Mauritania, and Algeria. Morocco is a leading producer and exporter of phosphates and also mines iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, and coal. The image shows a portion of the Atlas mountains near the town of Rissani, which is located in northeast Morocco about 50 km (31 mi) from the Algerian border. In this image, dark areas between brighter rock outcrops are channels covered in sand that serve as conduits for seasonal streams that run through the dry desert region. The image was obtained by SIR-C/X-SAR on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on April 15, 1994 and shows an area about 34 km (21 mi) on a side.





Moroccan artifacts go a long way back and the carpet is certainly the oldest of all of them. Here is a country famous for its carpets and carpet production and a long history to go with it.



With household names such as Kilim (embroidered carpet from Mid Atlas), Glawa (stitched, knotted and embroidered from the High Atlas) and Taznaght (knotted carpet from the High Atlas) you have found a product which is a must to take home with you.

The loom is traditionally made from the local wood of the valley and is part of the tradition of each household in Morocco, a country famous for its carpets, rugs and mats. Khali from the Brothers Amazoze Imlil in the High Atlas Mountains have the last say in the village on your way up the valley towards Toubkal.



Although the carpets from Eastern Morocco have attracted little scholarly as well as commercial attention, their importance and influence on the development of rural Moroccan weaving culture - particularly on the one of the Middle Atlas - cannot be underestimated.
As in the Middle Atlas, the carpets were generally used as sleeping mats and covers but due to the lower regions and the milder climate they only have a pile about 2cm high, and various forms of symmetric knots, asymmetric knots as well as the Berber knot are used. The sizes normally vary between 160 and 220 cm in width and from 3 up to 10 meters in length.
Pile carpets in Eastern Morocco can be subdivided into a female style similar to the traditions in the Middle Atlas and a male style, which has an affinity to the traditions in Algeria and Tunisia. While the women produced the carpets for their own families in a self supporting nomadic economic system, the male traditions base on a system of specialised professional masterweavers (Arab.: mallem).
The very  large masterweaver carpets, sometimes up to 10 meters long, were made for wealthy families among the northern tribes of the Metalsa, Beni bou Yahi, Beni bou Zeggou and the Beni Snassen. Such pieces were regarded as extremely prestigious and served as examples and source of inspiration for the more widespread female carpet production. Occasionally the eastern Moroccan masterweavers also worked in the northern and eastern middle Atlas and hence were of significant influence to these regions too.
The design scheme of these carpets shows the traditional simple geometric Berber motifs such as lozenges, triangles, crosses etc. inscribed in a regular, symmetric overall lozenge grid-composition with well balanced colours containing high amounts of deep indigo blue and green in old examples. Borders are typical, but usually the ones along the