Tzankh, Morocco:
In southern Morocco, women are the custodians of the ancient art of carpet weaving, a complex art that often leaves them with meager earnings.
Women like Aja Bancheri, who weaves carpets on a wooden loom outside her small house in the village of Tuznakht, follow generations-old traditions.
“I started imitating women at the age of 11 or 12 when I saw them weaving,” said Bancheri, 60. “Slowly, I learned, and it became my life’s work.”
Known for their bold geometric patterns and vibrant colors, the handwoven rugs are a fixture at local markets and a favorite among tourists. According to official data, in 2022, traditional carpets accounted for about 22 percent of the kingdom’s artisan exports.
The mountain villages around Taznakht are famous for their Ait Ouaouzguite carpets, named after a local Amazigh tribe, one of several community groups living in North Africa long known as Berbers. goes
Carpets are woven by women on small traditional looms, either at home or in specialized workshops. They are then classified into different styles depending on their region of origin and their design.
Some of Morocco’s finest carpets are made from high-quality sheep’s wool in Jebel Sarwa, just south of the Atlas Mountains, and dyed using natural plant pigments such as henna, pomegranate peels or indigo, although industrial dyes are also used. have replaced natural dyes for most weavers. They are cheaper and can be produced more quickly.
“This tradition has been passed down from mothers to daughters for centuries,” said Safia Amnotris, who leads a local women’s weaving cooperative.
She was one of the women exhibiting her creations at a recent festival in Tuznakht dedicated to heritage conservation.
‘comes from within’
A carpet can take two to four weeks to make, depending on its size, Benchery said, speaking in Tamazight, the community’s language recognized as an official language in Morocco alongside Arabic.
She added that I choose colors according to my feelings.
Imnoutres also described the process as “emotional,” guided by emotion rather than predetermined design.
“Knitting is an expression of women’s emotions, when they are happy, when they are sad,” she added. “It is an art that comes from within.”
But beyond its artistic value, weaving is an important source of income. Every Thursday, many people travel to the weekly market to sell their carpets, often to middlemen who set the prices. On average, a large rug sells for just 250 Moroccan dirhams (about $24), with the final price adding up to an astronomical profit afterwards. In cities such as Marrakech, about 250 kilometers (160 mi) north of Tizanakh, they are sold in markets for up to ten times their original value. Other rugs are listed on online platforms for up to $6,000.
“We earn very little,” Bancheri said. “The middlemen decide the price, and we have no choice but to accept it because this is our livelihood.”
She added that these diminishing returns have contributed to making handicrafts less attractive to young women and endangering the tradition of handicrafts. Additionally, the advent of cheaper, machine-made carpets has intensified competition.
To address these challenges, a new exhibition space in Tznekht allows some weavers to sell their work directly to buyers, cutting out the middlemen. The center also tries to open up new avenues for these women to sell their products independently through digital marketing courses.
“If this heritage is not made financially viable, we risk losing it,” warned Imnoutres. AFP