Carpets from the High Atlas
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.
CARPET MAKING
This Bazaar in Imlil is a place where you can find some of the finest
carpets and blankets in the region. Khali will average 8 hours,
6 days per week behind the loom. The Berber carpets are the
most famous of Morocco and are handmade with naturally dyed
wool.
The carpet industry in
Morocco ranges from the family unit to the industrial machine.
Making good quality carpets can take months and is traditionally
made by the women of the family. The value of the carpets
is based on the intricacy of the design, the age, the number
of knots and the strength of the fabrics.
CARPET SHOPPING
Buying a Moroccan carpet
can be one of the more pleasurable shopping experiences. But
first decide first if you really want it and then decide what
you really want to pay. Offer the seller a little less than
what you're willing to pay as your opening counteroffer to his
first price. Once you enter into negotiations, you can walk
away at any time, but if you agree on a price, then you'll have
to buy (walking away after accepting a price is against the
rules).
Some sellers will shout, fuss, even seem to get mad and terribly
offended, but its all just part of the game. If the vendor looks
miserable after you've bought the carpet you got a good deal.
If the vendor is smiling and you walk away thinking how easy
that was, then you've just been taken to the cleaners..!
