These days, everyone is running after the latest craze in design, Berber rugs from Morocco. But how many sellers can actually vouch for every step of the process of the rug’s journey from a village in Morocco to your home or office, whether it’s a vintage or new piece? And how many sellers can tell you the story of where these rugs come from, or the stories of the ancient cultures and people that pour wisdom, heart, and soul into each knot?The tradition of rug making in Morocco stretches back centuries, dating to the pre-Islamic Jewish Berber traditions of the region and continuing on to the present day. From the high tops of the Middle and High Atlas Mountains to the bustling cities of this North African kingdom, carpet making is interwoven into the patchwork of Arab, Berber (Amazigh), African, and Mediterranean cultures that make up contemporary Morocco. Some rugs were used to provide walls and roofs of nomads in the desert, woven with durable organic goat and camel hairs, and others use natural sheep wools to warm the interior of snowy mountain homes. From the mountains to the Sahara dunes, Hannoun Rugs from Morocco brings the diversity of Moroccan rugs to your living room. Since 2005, Mark Hannoun and his team has brought the Berber rug revolution to the United States, inspiring trends in the design world and catering to luxury celebrity clients, boutique hotels, and Bohemian vintage lovers. Each hand-made rug bursts into a unique assortment of colors and patterns and tells the well-known story passed on in the time-honored Berber proverb: Life is a loom, whose threads are the days. God decides when to cut the threads, even though the work is unfinished.Today, many so-called Moroccan rugs are mass produced in India and Pakistan in unethical factory conditions where animals are slaughtered as soon as they grow enough wool to make a carpet. This wool, known in the industry as “dead wool,” is then bleached and dyed with toxic chemicals in order to imitate the healthy living wool that comes from animals that are treated properly and regularly shaved throughout the course of long, healthy lives. Dead wool reflects the improper conditions in which it was harvested, and quickly sheds and becomes matted. Hannoun Rugs is committed to exclusively sourcing authentic Moroccan rugs woven using live sheep wool, thus investing both in the ethical treatment of our animal companions as well as ensuring that each rug keeps its timeless, clean look and its consistently soft feeling. From the well-known Beni Ouarain and Azilal style Berber rugs to the lesser known Boujad and Beni M’guild styes, Mark Hannoun has been working with Moroccan weavers and designers for over a decade to learn about the richness of these varieties and bring them into the American market. Going from village to village or sitting with town elders, Hannoun works with Moroccan friends and colleagues to source each rug individually and sustainably. Each rug is a piece of art, hand-made sometimes generations ago and hand-selected by Hannoun himself. As a pioneer in the American market, Hannoun Rugs from Morocco recognizes the importance of responsible sourcing and values the heritage and cultural memory woven into each rug. The Hannoun Rugs from Morocco team works with weavers, town historians, cooperatives, and academics to learn the story of each piece, and to bring that piece to you. Bringing rugs from Morocco to the United States requires a knowledge of Morocco, its peoples both Arab and Berber, and its cultures, and Hannoun’s Rugs takes on the responsibility of sharing this knowledge with you as you bring these living pieces of art into your room. No one Moroccan rug is alike, but each Moroccan rug reflects the stories woven into as it is folded and unfolded over time. Unfold one of Hannoun’s rugs from Morocco in your home today, and share in the story of this heritage.
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