Examination of berber carpet design in the kasbah of Taznakht in Ouarzazate province, Morocco

Hand weavings reflect a society's aesthetic, religious, political, economical, social, geographical and cultural journey throughout time and passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, each country and each nation have features that distinguish their own hand weaving style from eache other. In the great land of Taznakht, 80 km south of Ouarzazat, the story of a free people was written. The Berbers, also called the Amazigh, are the oldest inhabitants of Morocco; North Africa to be more specific. They have their own language, culture and faced variant challenges to preserve their identity from an uncertain future. One of the preserved artistic tradition is hand weaving, which occupies a significant place in the Amazigh's culture and survived until today against all odds. Carpet weaving in Taznakht is an important source of livelihood. The wool used in weaving is obtained from sheep breading, which is widely spread in and around Sirwa Mountain. Hence the high quality woolen weaving in this area. This study introduces the Moroccan Berber weaving art, with the carpets as a focal point. We'll bo focusing on the Berber carpet weaving in Taznakht Town of Ouarzazat Province south of Morocco's High Atlas mountains. The objective here, is to create an descriptive written source of the Moroccan Berber carpet weaving art. The research methods used are: relevant documentation (from both internet research and literature reviews), field research, interviews with direct local sources and detailed design analysis (which include the raw materials, type of loops, dimensions, count of weft and loop rows, colours and patterns characteristics). The research include, as well, a carpet weaving design suggestion as an attempt to revive the Moroccan Berber weaved carpets. Keywords: Carpet, Taznakht, Amazigh, Berber, hand weaving