In Aït Barra, the weaving tradition has been carefully nurtured by a woman named Rokia. At almost 100 years old, Rokia has taught nearly all the women of the Village to weave. Because of her seniority, the artisans trust Rokia to house and sell their rugs. As her memory has started to fade, Rokia’s daughters, Rabha and Latifa, have stepped in to run the Village rug sales for the collective of 15 artisans. The rug styles range from Flatweave and Kilim to Handria.

Aït Tigga is a Village located about 30 kilometers east of the Village Anzal. Up until a year ago, Aït Tigga was only accessible via an off-road route, so the artisans of the Village would send their rugs to the women of Anzal to sell on their behalf. Thanks to a new road, the artisans of Aït Tigga are now able to sell independently. This collective of 12 artisans weave a variety of rug styles, but their specialty is called Kharita ("map" in Arabic). This complex weaving technique consists of a labyrinthine of geometric shapes and has the same design on both sides, making the rugs reversible.

Located in the north of Morocco, Ait Yadine is a small Village near Khemisset, in the Middle Atlas Mountains. This collective of weavers has 8 members, and produces medium to high hand-knots, consistent with the weather and type of wool available in the region.

This Women-Only Association is located in the Village of Anzal, about 30 kilometers north of the popular weaving town, Tazenakht. The Anzal collective was founded in 2007 and is kept alive by women passing the craft down through the generations. Saida, the President of the Association, is our liaison for all our custom orders.

We met the women of Anzal in 2019 on a special day for the Association. After sharing a small space with a men’s Association, the women were finally moving into a bigger space, just for them. The night before our visit, the women had blessed and celebrated the new space with a prayer and a meal of homemade couscous. We were the final visitors to purchase in the old space. The women of the Association told us that our visit answered their prayers for a successful start to their new journey.

Located in the southeast of Morocco, Kalaat M’Gouna is most known for its Valley of the Roses, celebrated every May by a popular Rose Festival. Mina, the matriarch of this Association, grew up closer to Tazenakht and moved to Kalaat M’Gouna after marrying her husband. She began teaching the weaving craft to friends and neighbors decades ago. In 1995, she formed a small Association made up of Villagers and extended family. Today, there are still 10 members and they make low hand-knot, boucherouite, and kharita rugs.

Saida and her sister Khadijah started a small Association of women weavers in their Village to help their elder neighbors sell their beautiful, handcrafted rugs. The women live in the Al Haouz Province of Morocco, 20 kilometers outside of Amizmiz in the High Atlas Mountains. This Province is home to the Boujad Tribe and the rugs crafted in this region take on the Tribe’s namesake.

Cooperative Tisseuses has existed since 1977 and was one the first weaving Cooperatives officially recognized in Morocco. As of today, the Cooperative is comprised of 24 full-time members. Ain Leuh is located in the Middle Atlas Mountains and is known for intricate Zemmour Hanbels and colorful Boucherouites.

Soukina leads a group of 35 artisans from a village just outside Beni M’rirt in the Middle Atlas Mountains. Founded in the early 2000s by Soukina’s late mother, Ketlouma, the collective specializes in medium to high hand-knot rugs—a style named after the region—as well as M’rirt Zanafi rugs, their unique interpretation of the Zanafi style from the southeast. Traditional rugs from this area are crafted using a thick knotting technique, resulting in an extra-plush texture.

Mbarka and Khadija were the first artisans we ever worked with and through the years they have become our extended family. Residing just outside the old Village of Tazenakht, this mother-daughter duo has been weaving together for decades. They both specialize in the intricate hanbel technique and, depending on how big the rug is, they will enlist the help of their neighbors, cousins, or siblings to help complete the piece.

The Association Le Vieux Village is a beautiful collective of women artisans just outside of Tazenakht. This Association is a true family affair. Mlouka, the matriarch of the collective, has passed the art of weaving down to her daughters, Naima and Fatima, daughters-in-law, Latifa and Meriem, cousins, and villagers. All of the rugs from Le Vieux are made from 100% live wool that was brushed, carded, and hand-spun by the women of the Association.

A small independent Association of artisans who reside in Marmoucha, a Village located north of Morocco and sits just south of Fez, has a total of 10 weavers. Marmoucha sits in the region where the infamous Beni Ourain Tribe once lived. Hence, the traditional Medium to High Hand-Knot rug.

The Ouaouzguiti Association is made up of a constellation of 125 artisans in ten Villages throughout the Siroua region. Founded over 80 years ago, Aicha is one of the leaders of the Association. This enduring Association makes a large variety of rugs.

The Timnay Association is located in the N'kob Village on the foothills of the Siroua mountain range. The majority of artisans belong to the Ait Ouaghrda Tribe. The Association was founded in the 1980s. Today, it has 15 artisans working in the collective, which is run by Kebira. They produce a wide variety of weaves, from low hand-knot to intricate hanbels.