The Zemmour tribes, once infamous for their banditry, and now known for their beautifully detailed weavings, are settled in the area South of Meknes and they are one of the largest producers of textiles of the Middle Atlas Berbers. As these tribes live in a warmer climate than other tribes, their textiles are more like blankets than rugs - in fact the Zemmour use these weavings to cover the entire family at night, which accounts for their length.

(click on any of the images above to see a larger picture and a close up)
 

These weavings are also used as women's shawls. Before her wedding the Berber bride weaves this shawl which will be used in the most important moments in her life, from her wedding where she is wrapped in the shawl and sent on horseback to her groom, to her funeral, where the shawl is used as her burial shroud. The weaver includes ancient symbols common to her tribeswomen to assist and protect her in the new life she faces. For more information regarding Berber symbolism, please go to the History page.

These very traditional weavings are characterized by strong stripes of red and white interspersed with delicate embroidery and sometimes fringe or small stripes of pile.

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