Cooperative Nahda · Souq El Hed
WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES
SIZE
2m 64cm x 2m x 3cm — 8ft 8in x 6ft 7in x 1in
WEIGHT
15600 g
MATERIALS
Tadout - Wool and Cotton
PRODUCT ID
#8641
Beni Ourain style rugs are pile knot rugs intricately designed and are used as two sided rugs in Oued Ifrane. There is the summer side, when the pile side is placed face down on the ground to keep things cooler. During the winter, the pile side is placed up to keep things warmer. You can find these carpets with natural wool from the local sheep or cotton yarn bought from the village market. Depending on the size of the rug, it can take weeks to create. Each knot needs to be individually tied and cut, so one person is only able to create a meter in two weeks.
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MEET THE MAKERS
Meriam Amskini
Meriam is married and is the mother of one daughter. She was born in Ait Aziz and learned weaving from her mother as a younger girl. Meriam has never had the opportunity to attend school, and has been selling carpets in the weekly marketplace for many years. Every time she sells a carpet at the market place, she has to sell it at an incredibly low price, one equal to 5 dirhams or 50 cents a day in order to compete with other carpet sellers. Because of these low prices, she stopped weaving, feeling frustrated. She is a fantastic weaver in the traditional red carpets with black and white motifs, and now she has started weaving again as a member of the coop, hoping to increase her living standards through fair pay.
VISIT THE VILLAGE
Cooperative Nahda hosts visitors in their village — share tea, watch the artisans at work, and see the craft up close. Visits start at $14 per person, and most of it goes straight to the group.
Souq El Hed, Morocco · about 2 heures 17 minutes from Fez
