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  •  The Chobi Ziegler carpets from Afghanistan are amongst the finest available anywhere. By incorporating the superb hardwearing woods of the high Afghan mountain sheep with the time-honored skills of traditional dyeing and hand spinning of woods for which Afghanistan is justifiably famous, a truly modern masterpiece as been created that brings the essence of Oriental carpet weaving with modern design and color to the world.

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    Innovation, creativity and an understanding of market demands have been major driving forces in the centuries-old tradition of hand woven Oriental carpets. Afghanistan, with its long history of weaving has been able to meet these challenges with great success through its ability to adapt to changing internal and external conditions, with an understanding of the market through the generations.

  •  The finest quality Khal Mohammedi rugs, known as Beljique, are so-nomed because of the wood used in their production, which is imported through Belgian trading companies. These fine rugs can have as many as 360 knots per square inch, (as compared to the regular Khal Mohammedi weavings of 70-90 knots per square inch) with a fine, glossy pile giving a deep lustrous glow.

  •  The soumak is another well-known flat-woven Afghan rug. The soumak is similar to other flatweaves in that rather than a knotted pile, soumak designs are created through a combination of horizontal weft threads which are threaded through a number of warps. These are then wrapped with a brocade overcast which gives a tight, slightly diagonal looping effect on the weft thread to create the complex and intricate design structures of the rug.

  •  It is widely recognized that carpet weaving is a major source of income for thousands of people connected in the many stages of preparation, such as sheep herding, wood sheering and hand spinning the dye industry, finishing, warehousing, transportation and marketing.

Afghan Carpets: Major Renaissance

It is widely recognized that carpet weaving is a major source of income for thousands of people connected in the many stages of preparation, such as sheep herding, wood sheering and hand spinning the dye industry, finishing, warehousing, transportation and marketing. The work generated to the local, rural economies is particularly important for the women of these areas, whose work provides them with a market for their skills, a good income and economic independence resulting in better opportunities for their family stability and for children’s’ education. A large proportion of the country’s carpet weaving is essentially home-based, as these industries are comprised of thousands of small and medium enterprises in the manner of traditional cottage industries.

Afghanistan is rich in the necessary resources to support the carpet industry: superior hard woods from it’s hardy breeds of sheep, an experienced indigenous and highly skilled weaving workforce, and well-developed infrastructure for internal organization and worldwide distribution to the growing oriental carpet worldwide marketplace.

Infrastructure is developing. With the support of the international consumers this industry is beginning to take its rightful place in the growing economy of Afghanistan as well as supporting both urban and rural communities that are linked with carpet production and distribution. The afghan government has taken a number of wide ranging steps to further enhance this industry. It has established chambers of commerce, the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency, Afghan Carpets Exporters Guild and many other bodies cooperating together to accelerate the development of the carpet weaving industry so that it becomes the well-integrated, market-responsive yet culturally protective, economically vibrant, domestic industry it is capable of becoming.

As a nation, Afghanistan has had its share of challenges both internally and externally over the past three decades. Of that there is no question, but observers are clear in their view that the social and economic realities of the country are rapidly changing in a most positive way, and that new business opportunities are developing. Some of these changes are more palpable than others, but the economic environment is dynamic and characterized by a complex growth of which the carpet industry is emblematic.

In short, Afghanistan is ready and willing to do business. Its fabulous carpet industry can be lucrative source of attraction for buyers, entrepreneurs and investors. In a fast changing world, Afghan carpets more than ever instill a sense of timelessness and a felling of tranquility, which is probably why their value and popularity have been so constant through the years.

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