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Marrakech Carpet Fair | National Handicrafts Week, Marrakesh, Morocco
Successful trade fair premiere
The first-ever Marrakech Carpet Fair was held from 5 – 7 December 2022 as part of the seventh annual National Handicrafts Week. Knotted, wo- ven and even hand-tufted goods were shown at this new trade show in Morocco – one of the most important countries of origin for handmade rugs. Twenty producers and exporters, includ- ing handicraft cooperatives from rural regions, exhibited at the event, which is supported by the Moroccan government with King Mohammed VI. as patron. The fair featured an accompanying program of varied presentations. Around 500 se- lect international visitors were invited to attend, including many US purchasers from all across the interior décor and lifestyle sector. Frank Dornacher was there reporting for Carpet Home.
The carpet show was held in a dedicated building right next to the pavilion housing a
full-spectrum exhibition of Moroccan crafts- manship. Such an appealing presentation of carpets, accessories and handicraft items af- forded a whole new aesthetic experience, re- vealing the contemporary significance and value of Moroccan rugs.
A broad spectrum of carpets was shown, from traditional to modern. “At this fair you would have searched in vain for a single or double- knotted wool Berber carpet in light natural tones, once popular in Europe,” Dornacher ex- plains, “The classic product still has its buyers, but in retail it has been steadily losing impor- tance for many years now.”
What one could find however in Marrakesh were lots of exciting new items with crea- tive patterns and in an impressive variety of