Moroccan Rugs Benefits

There is a deep history with Moroccan rugs and it is a cultured product and export which has a lot of meaning to the local people who hand-weave them. Since the Paleolithic era, the Moroccan people have hand-woven rugs and carpets and for centuries they created these wonderful pieces of art for practical purposes, rather than for commerce or decoration. The versatility of these types of rugs suited both cold and hot climates, making them perfect for the heat of the Sahara desert or the cold of the Atlas mountains. 


Many were made with a thick heavy pile for warmth or flat woven for hotter temperatures and this flexibility allowed for various uses throughout history.

 

So Why Choose Rugs from Morocco?

It certainly makes sense that this particular product was used so much over the centuries because of its versatility but it was used for so much more than just temperature control throughout the seasons. They were used as burial shrouds and general decorative adornments, as well as for saddle blankets and covers. Moroccan carpets and rugs were also sometimes used as seat covers, floor coverings or mattresses. A lot of the time they were created purely because of the tribes ancestral traditions and it’s these designs that are of course more valuable, despite not being necessarily made for a market appeal.

Depending on the location of where they were made, they had great symbolism and there are many well known rugs now that belong to tribal groups including Beni Ourain, Azilal Boucherouite and Kilim, amongst many others. It’s this exclusive, varied range of traditions that make them so unique and sought after, as opposed to many mass market designs.

 

Moroccan Style Rugs

There are quite a few styles within the various tribal designs, as with most cultural items which have been used as an export method. So what’s the difference?

There are the tribe styles which include Beni Ourain, Berber and Boucherouite and within these there are optional types of moroccan carpets or rugs.

  • Moroccan Runner rugs
  • Thick-pile Moroccan rugs
  • Moroccan Shag rug
  • Vintage Style Moroccan rugs
  • Small and large living room rugs
  • Coffee table Moroccan Berber rugs
  • Zanafi
  • Azilal
  • Kilim
  • Thin Weave

 

They can be used anywhere in the home and to suit any style of decor, which is great considering that some homes are restrictive in terms of style and require a certain element to items such as rugs. however, Berber rugs and to the more modern designs of Moroccan runner rugs and flat woven rugs suit most home environments.

The style is dictated by the tribal tradition type and so vintage is perfect for those wanting a design incorporating history and ancestral myths. Whereas for a more modern look, bold colours are just as effective, with fewer or no design patterning but offering a powerful impact through traditional dyes and incredible colours.

 

How Vintage Moroccan rugs and Carpets Contribute to The Economy

Not only are the styles available great for promoting different tribal histories and representing various cultural designs, the overriding positive that has come from this powerful and effective product is the market appeal of its individuality and the desire from consumers worldwide to include it in their homes. This offers a two-pronged benefit. The first is obviously that consumers are given choice and high quality products which are unique, are not mass market and which are not easily replicated and secondly, they fuel an economy in a country which perhaps has not had the advantages of the west and this in turn offers regular workers and local people the chance to create something of cultural significance that people want to buy. It also gives them a good opportunity to earn a fair wage and make a living.

Artisan cooperatives were designed to help local workers gain a fair share of the profits and to create unique products that consumers want to buy, but without going through large companies or middlemen who would take a large share and buy up product and sell on at a mark-up, leaving very little for the actual makers of the product. This is something we are huge supporters of and we work with talented artisans to help them expand the market for their product and create fairer business practices. In turn this provides better products for the makers. Moroccan Vintage carpets and rugs are so popular that they are a huge boost to the Moroccan economy and they are one of their biggest successful exports.