In southern Morocco, women are keeping the centuries-old art of carpet weaving alive, despite meagre earnings and growing competition from machine-made rugs. In villages like Taznakht, women such as Ijja Benchri, 60, dedicate their lives to weaving vibrant, geometric-patterned rugs on traditional looms.
“I started weaving at 11 or 12, learning from the women around me,” said Benchri, who now creates rugs from her small home. These handwoven carpets, a hallmark of Amazigh traditions, accounted for nearly 22% of Morocco’s artisan exports in 2022.
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Weaving is more than a craft—it’s an emotional expression, with designs often guided by the weaver’s mood, according to Safia Imnoutres, leader of a local women’s cooperative. However, intermediaries dominate the market, buying rugs for as little as $24 and reselling them at vastly higher prices, leaving the women with minimal profits.
Efforts like digital marketing courses and exhibition spaces in Taznakht aim to help weavers sell directly to buyers, preserving this cultural heritage for future generations.
