Moroccan rugs are more than just floor coverings; they are weaves, carpets, and textiles that have been traditionally hand-woven in Morocco.
A traditional Moroccan rug with geometric patterns.
The History of Moroccan Rugs
Rugs have been woven by the indigenous people of Morocco since the Paleolithic Era. In the historic area encompassing the modern nation of Morocco, the tradition of rug-making is just about as old as it is anywhere in the world.
The early adoption of rug-making by native Moroccans is certainly due in large part to the distinctive climate of the region.
In the past, Moroccan rugs were primarily made for practical purposes, such as to keep warm in the cold mountain winters or to mark the boundaries of a tent.
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In fact, the designs of the rugs have been handed down by generations of weavers.
After some time, the Eastern tribes like Beni Ourain started to make these Beni rugs professionally and used them as gifts or awards for high-class families.
These nomadic crafters obtained wool from the Atlas mountain sheep and wove it to form yarn. The camel’s hair also served as a perfect option for the sheep wool.
These artists could sometimes dye the wool or leave them in their original undyed plain color.
Interestingly, the crafters had a superstitious belief that the rug's elegance could attract evil spirits. In order to keep the rugs safe from the evil spirits, the architects burnt the edges of the Moroccan rugs.
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To date, the accessibility of these highly desired rugs is at an all-time high.
Characteristics of Moroccan Rugs
From Moroccan rugs comes the great inspiration for the history and culture of the traditional people. Typically, the rugs are differentiable using their colors and patterns. This makes it easier for you to know which tribes made which rugs.
Moreover, every tribe boasted a distinct culture that their usage would portray.
Thickness
With Morocco's distinct climate, thicker rugs were made for colder places at high elevations like the mountains. Besides, thinner and flat-weave cloaks were used in hotter places found at low elevations like the Sahara desert.
For instance, the Beni Ourain tribe used sheep wool to weave a thicker Moroccan rug. This distinct rug was made to keep them warm while in the chilly climate of the Atlas Mountains. Lighter and thinner Moroccan rugs are made to help cope up with the Sahara Desert’s hot climate.
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Size
The movement of Moroccan tribes from one place to another largely influenced the sizes of woven rugs. Rug sizes usually ranged from 5-7 feet in width and from 3-10 meters in length to ensure ease and comfort of traveling, but they can usually be customized if you have a small space for example that you need to fit a particular piece into.
Colors and Patterns
Moroccan-style rugs are incredibly unique - no two rugs are looking alike. They are hand-woven by expert women of the tribe who use their hands to incorporate symbolic languages and personal experiences in the rugs. The ultimate aim is to narrate the maker's stories.
Additionally, the tribe forms a vital detail of these rugs. And these tribes deliver various types of Moroccan-style rugs.
Common Moroccan Rug Designs
Antique Moroccan rugs are one of the commonest and most captivating art pieces across the world. Their thickness, weaving styles, and design patterns mainly intend to give essential varieties in the world of rugs.
Beni Ourain
These rugs are made from pure wool in the middle Atlas Mountains with 17 different Berber tribes known as the Beni Ourain. Usually, these rugs have simple and orderly patterns yet elegant. A genuine old-fashioned Beni Ourain rug should have a cream color, not snow white. The rug contains hints of henna-black or brown hues and many symbols associated with the tribe. More importantly, you'll find this type of rug soft and fluffy to feel.
A Beni Ourain rug with cream color and geometric patterns.
Azilal
These rugs originate from the high Atlas Mountains and boast bold and bright colors with irregular patterns. They are tangled, thinly peeled rugs created from the natural wool fiber. What's more, the rugs maintain a natural wool color. However, you can make colorful abstract designs from either dyed wool fibers.
Moreover, these rugs are true inspirations from the lives of women living in the Azilal region. The most common themes for this rug include marriage, maternity, birth, and farming. Even though they use a different weaving technique, these rugs are still elegant, soft, and very comfortable.
Azilal rugs are made by hand in the rural areas of Morocco using natural dyes and traditional weaving techniques. In fact, many families have been creating these rugs for generations, passing down their knowledge from one generation to the next.
These artisans utilize wool from local sheep as well as undyed cotton or silk thread to create beautiful patterns and colors.
Azilal rugs are incredibly durable due to the high-quality materials used in their construction.
The weavers start by spinning wool into yarn on a drop spindle or distaff before dyeing it with natural dyes extracted from plants found in the Atlas Mountains.
Once dyed, the yarn is woven into the rug’s design on a loom-a complicated process that can take up to several months to complete, given its size and detail.
Azilal rugs feature traditional geometric patterns that are usually created in bold colors like red, blue, yellow, green, and black.
The overall look is reminiscent of a patchwork quilt with intricate details that draw the eye to every corner of the rug.
Boucherouite
The Boucherouite is the most unique and impressive type of Moroccan rug available. That's because of the materials used to make them. Rather than using natural fibers, these women would use whatever fabric they had at hand-old clothes, synthetic yarns, t-shirts, etc.-to craft their unique designs.
Since wool was declining and hard to obtain, other scraps of fabric materials like cotton, nylon, and lurex were used.
Their main aim was to provide excellent warmth in cold places that lack wool or where the people couldn't afford it. Additionally, this rug’s style doesn’t have a specific pattern meaning that they can be symmetrical or geometric. Still, they are exceptionally soft and feel cozy while giving a vibrant color.
Boucherouite rugs were first created by rural women in Morocco as an alternative to traditional wool or silk carpets.
Boucherouite rugs are often characterized by their bold colors and highly detailed designs; some feature geometric shapes, while others are more abstract or floral in nature.
This makes them an excellent choice for both modern and traditional interior styles.
They come in various sizes, so there’s something to fit any space-from small accent pieces to larger statement items.
When it comes to incorporating Boucherouite rugs into your home decor, there really is no right or wrong way to do it.
These pieces are incredibly versatile and can be used anywhere you use a traditional rug - living rooms, entryways, bedrooms, etc. - but they also work beautifully when used in more unexpected places such as bathrooms or kitchens.
Boujad
Boujad rugs from the Central Plains areas are identical with their deep red, purple, pink, and orange tints. The Berber tribes practice typical knotting by using a tighter knot that requires less wool.
The wide array of geometric patterns with colors crafted from natural dyes of leaves, flowers, berries, and henna. Therefore, these rugs are very colorful and trendy that will impress every eye.
Beni Mguild
These rugs are made using fluffy, thicker weave, making them an excellent choice for use during colder periods in the western parts of the Atlas Mountains. Besides that, these rugs are knotted on a vertical loom with deep tints of brown, red, purple, and blue.
Depending on the season, these rugs are often flipped to use the fluffy side for colder seasons and the flat surface during warmer periods. With this versatility, the Beni Mguild rug is quite a blessing for you.
Beni Mguild rugs are some of the most sought-after carpets in the world.
Originating from the villages of the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco, they are a traditional symbol of Berber culture and have been produced since ancient times.
Beni Mguild rugs are typically made from 100% wool, which is dyed after using natural dyes extracted from plants and minerals found in Morocco’s mountainside regions.
Beni Mguild rugs have a distinct design that sets them apart from other carpets.
They feature intricate geometric patterns, often with diamond shapes and multiple borders, which represent the values of Berber culture: creativity, resilience, beauty, and strength.
A Beni Mguild rug is made with natural wool that is woven by hand; this means that it is incredibly strong and built to last.
As opposed to synthetic or machine-made carpets, this type will not wear easily over time.
Kilim
Kilim rugs are an ancient form of rug-making that have been crafted for hundreds of years by nomadic tribes in the Middle East and Central Asia.
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