Traditional Carpet Weaving
Globalization and new technologies have reached just about every nook and cranny of the world. Yet ancient arts remain. In North Africa, that includes carpet weaving.
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Here’s a tip.
Want a way to show people love even if you don’t know their language well? Learn to appreciate their traditions. Explore music, dance, visual art, handicrafts and cuisine. Make a friend and invite them—or maybe better yet, their parents and grandparents—to teach you. Be curious and seek to learn more.
When you demonstrate that you are a learner, others will want to teach you and help you understand. As you may notice, this is especially true if you ask them to teach you how to do something rather than tell you how they do it.
Try it close to home, too!
Something special happens when you take your place as a student rather than a teacher. You give that honor to another, recognizing and validating their expertise. Try this with an international friend, whether they are an international student, refugee, immigrant—or simply from a different culture than the one you know best. Invite them to be your teacher.
You can ask questions like these:
- Where do these traditions come from? Who preserves them?
- How do people pass down the traditions and to whom?
- What values do these traditions reflect and represent?
- Do many people in the culture still embrace those values?
- What practices have changed? What has stayed the same?
A photographer visiting Morocco stopped by a small weaving operation and captured a few images.
A beautiful carpet may include many colors. The yarn may all start one color, but weavers must dye the yarn into colors that will go well together before they begin to weave.
After preparing the yarn, weavers warp the loom or looms. This is a small operation but includes several looms.
Now comes time to weave. Here, a Moroccan woman weaves the weft through the warp on her loom.
Yarn is knotted onto the weft and then beaten into even lines.
Here’s what the warp looks like from behind.
This is a beater, used to make the lines of the weft even so the pattern will be consistent.
A man trims the carpet pile with scissors to make it even.
Trimming the carpet to produce an even pile takes time and attention.
Almost done. Now, a woman braids the rug’s fringes.
Every piece of the warp should be secured to keep the rug from coming apart.
Carpets, sold by size, must be measured before they are priced and sold.
Take the Next Step
Watch the video Spirit of North Africa to get a better picture of this part of the world.
Check out our photo essay with scenes from North Africa.
Our 8- to 12-week Edge trips take you to the ends of the earth to experience missionary life alongside long-term teams.
Going Deeper
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