We arrive in Khenifra on a hot Saturday morning. The souk, a courtyard surrounded by carpet shops, is located in the center of the city. The women stand and sit in the middle of the souk with their stacked carpets. It is ultimately the women of the Berber villages who make the carpets, alone or in groups. After months of work, the oldest women in the village go to the Souk with their carpets. What they sell at the auction determines for many how they will pass through the winter. Depending on the Berber tribe, you will find different types and styles of weaving and knotting. Beni Ouarain carpets, Beni Mguild carpets, Boujaad carpets, Azilal carpets, Zayan carpets, Boucherouite carpets, different types of Kilims etc… The Berber carpet is a result of the creativity of the Amazigh woman, it is a decipherable symbol that has been the subject of much research.

The auction

An old weathered man (dallal) takes a large, heavy carpet over his shoulder and starts walking around the surrounding shops and other involved buyers. He unrolls the carpet and an opening price is mentioned. The auction has started. The women laugh happily when their rug has delivered the hoped-in price or look worried when the rug does not get sold. The dallal continues with the heavy carpet over his shoulder until he has received the last bid and the sale is officially completed between the women and the "winner".

Discover our newest carpets from the souk and the Middle Atlas including a few large Zanafi carpets, Beni Ouarain carpets, and a beautifully detailed Zayan carpet.