Margot Bigg is a journalist who has lived in the UK, the US, France, and India. She’s the author of Moon Living Abroad in India and Moon Taj Mahal, Delhi & Jaipur and a co-author of Fodor's Essential India and Fodor's Pacific Northwest. Her stories have appeared in Rolling Stone India, National Geographic Traveler, Sunset, and VICE.
Margot Bigg is a journalist who has lived in the UK, the US, France, and India. She’s the author of Moon Living Abroad in India and Moon Taj Mahal, Delhi & Jaipur and a co-author of Fodor's Essential India and Fodor's Pacific Northwest. Her stories have appeared in Rolling Stone India, National Geographic Traveler, Sunset, and VICE.
Hi, I'm Margot!Margot Bigg is a journalist who has lived in the UK, the US, France, and India. She’s the author of Moon Living Abroad in India and Moon Taj Mahal, Delhi & Jaipur and a co-author of Fodor's Essential India and Fodor's Pacific Northwest. Her stories have appeared in Rolling Stone India, National Geographic Traveler, Sunset, and VICE.
Hi, I'm Margot!Margot Bigg is a journalist who has lived in the UK, the US, France, and India. She’s the author of Moon Living Abroad in India and Moon Taj Mahal, Delhi & Jaipur and a co-author of Fodor's Essential India and Fodor's Pacific Northwest. Her stories have appeared in Rolling Stone India, National Geographic Traveler, Sunset, and VICE.
High up in the Atlas Mountains and across the vast stretches of the Sahara desert, Berber tribes have been weaving rugs for thousands of years. It’s a practice that dates back to the Paleolithic period, and the secrets of this ancient process remain within these communities, having been passed down from generation to generation. Today, these practical works of art can be found in vintage stores and high-end boutiques around the world. But where better to buy your own magic carpet than in Morocco? We spoke to Driss Mlouki of Aux Merveilles de Marrakech carpet shop to get his top tips on buying an authentic Moroccan rug in Morocco.
Materials and colors differ from region to region and even from tribe to tribe. Most use wool, but some use camel hair or artificial materials. Weave may not be as big of a consideration, though. “Unlike with Turkish and Persian carpets, the quality of Berber carpets doesn’t necessarily correspond to the number of stitches,” Mlouki says. “It’s more to do with the style, the material, and the region.” Also, as most Moroccan rugs are made of wool, you can test the authenticity simply by asking for a strand from the carpet and lighting it on fire. Wool will sizzle like hair, while synthetic fibers will melt like plastic. You can also dab a carpet with a wet cloth to make sure the fibers have been properly dyed—a bleeding carpet is the last thing you want on your floor back home.
“There are more than 50 regions that make rugs,” Mlouki says, and some are naturally better known than others. “Each region has its own style, dominant colors, and patterns, but designs can even vary from weaver to weaver.” Some of the most easily identified are popular Beni Ourain rugs, which come from the Atlas Mountain tribe of the same name. These are identifiable by their black-and-off-white crisscross patterns and, according to Mlouki, are the most popular rugs right now (along with kilims, which are pileless, tapestry-woven rugs). For something more vibrant, Beni Mguild rugs often feature diamond patterns (typically more intricate than those made by their Beni Ourain counterparts), but with richer colors, including deep reds and purples.
It’s mostly in the thickness and material choice, says Mlouki, noting that rugs are generally made from heavier materials such as wool. “Kilims are much thinner and can easily be transported, whereas rugs range from somewhat thick to really thick.”
The price of rugs in Morocco varies so much that it's hard to say how much one can cost. After all, you can buy cheap knock-offs at roadside stalls for surprisingly little, or take home masterpieces that cost thousands. You’re best off shopping around, maybe looking online to see how much similar rugs cost online in your home country (and then preparing yourself to pay way less). There are also fixed-price, government-sponsored shops in many cities where you can go to see how much something might cost at full price (the idea is to pay less at a local shop).You also will want to bargain, and bargain hard. Haggling is not only acceptable; it’s encouraged.
While smaller rugs can be easily rolled up and transported home, most vendors offer shipping. “It usually takes around two weeks,” explains Mlouki. “And as an African country, we get good postal rates, even with FedEx.”
