Moroccan rugs from the Azilal province were almost unknown to the market until the late 1990’s. They are made from virgin raw wool using one single knotted line and one or two woven lines. Weaving a rug in the Berber village is a cultural ritual that mothers are passing down to daughters for generations. They feature simplistic geometric shapes and patterns with many vibrant colours often used on a cream background.
The Ait Bouzid, Ait Shokmane, Ait Bou Oulli and Ait Bougmez tribes: they are all tribes of the Azilal province in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The Berber tribes of the Ait Ouaouzguite, in the market town of Tazenakht, produce textiles that combine beautiful shades of every color with some of the finest handspun wool found in Moroccan weavings. You can put your Azilal rug in a small space in your home and they fit perfectly inside modern decor. The contrast with a vintage Azilal rug and modern furniture is beautiful.
Azilal rugs are not like traditional formats, moreover, these are composed of different geometric shapes and tribal patterns. The older pieces either have no borders or one relatively narrow, often with designs woven in knotted pile.
Creative and fun rugs, their symmetrical compositions reflect urban influences, but differ in style and design from rugs produced in the Plains of Marrakesh and in the Middle Atlas Mountains. Azilal rug is the definition of freedom. Freedom because the shapes are sometimes imperfect, but this is what makes all the charm of these Azilal. You can often see motif of the lozenge form, what is a sign of protection in the Moroccan culture against the evil eye. The Berbers use this symbol not only in their rugs but they also paint this lozenge form against the door of their house and if you pay attention, you can find this lozenge on many doors in all the cities of Morocco. Other patterns sometimes surrounded this form. It’s a symbol who represents the donkey, an essential animal for the people leaving in Moroccan mountains.
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