Traditional Rabat carpet making defies modern factory production

This alley, which used to be home to all foreign consulates before Morocco gained its independence from the French, is now full of shops specializing in selling and marketing these traditional carpets that have to compete with modern factory-made products.

Every Monday and Thursday, al-Qanasula alley is full of people selling these traditional carpets. Women register their names and use carts or vehicles to carry the produce they want to display for customers.

But before this, it should be approved by a specialized agency affiliated to the Ministry of Traditional Industries.

In al-Qanasula alley there is an office, affiliated to the ministry, to monitor those who want to market and sell their carpets.

In this office, a middle-aged woman, wearing a traditional Moroccan dress, supervises the process of monitoring the carpets. With her assistants, they have to double check the type of wool used in making the carpet as well as the size.

If it is approved, she sticks a small piece of paper on the back of the carpet stating all the specifications of the product. Carpets that do not have this sticker may not be sold.

This procedure only takes a few minutes as people working in the Ministry of Traditional Industries know that time is a crucial element for carpet sellers. But the most important thing for the sellers is that the sticker on the back of their carpets is orange-colored.

An orange-colored sticker means that this product is of the highest quality. A blue sticker means the carpet is thin, a yellow one indicates that it is of average quality.

After getting the ministry's approval, carpets are moved on to the person responsible for auctioning carpets in the market.

The carpet's owner states her price, and the man's job is to shout it out loud trying to get a higher price. However, some regulars at the market, who are experts in these kinds of traditional carpets, manage to buy one or two with a cheaper price than those sold at large stores outside the market.

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