TunisiaTourismTV - From the sheep’s raw wool to the finished carpet, the weaving of a mergoum – a flatweave carpet with stripes and geometric patterns – requires a series of age-old gestures.
First gesture: carding the wool between two small spiked paddles to make it light and thin.
Then spinning the wool on a spindle by rotating it on one’s thigh.
Finally, drawing the weft thread through the vertical loom’s warp, then pack each row using a wooden comb.
These graceful and precise gestures were once handed down from mother to daughter in numerous regions of Tunisia.
Demo by Souad from the Archeological and traditional museum Sidi Ben Aissa, in the heart of the old city center of Tozeur in Southern Tunisia.
Video: Tozeur, the oasis city
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