Tunsian Mediterranean Tapestries
Mediterranean Tapestries In Tunsia
 Tunisia has always been famous for its rugs, mergoums, kilims, and other tapestries and woven products. In the fifth century BC, the Greek poets were already celebrating "the rugs and cushions of Carthage," and during the Aghlabide dynasty (647-909), the tribute payable to the Caliph of Baghdad was made partly in the form of rugs.
Later, historians referred to a great variety of rugs used among tribes, in homes, and in palaces: prayer rugs, floor rugs, saddle-rugs, hammam rugs, and rugs used to cover sofas, etc. Rooted in ancient tradition, but also open to outside influences, the expertise of the women weavers of Tunisia saw considerable development over the first half of the XIXth century.
Tunisian Carpets/Rugs
Kairouan Carpet
Legend has it that in 1830, Kamla, daughter of a governor of Turkish origin, took two years to weave the first example of this knotted-tassel rug, after being inspired by her father’s collection. When she had finished, she donated the rug to the city mausoleum.
This legend is held to be the origin of a great tradition and a prosperous craft industry. The "Kairouan"-style rug has a central, generally hexagonal, design, with corners covered with stylized motifs and surrounding bands of geometrical and/or floral designs.
 
Kilims
Rugs woven of wool, featuring geometrical designs in lines of various colors.
Mergoums
Woven in wool, and with a short pile, it very often has a red background (produced by pomegranate peel) and Berber motifs, generally in white, and known as regma.
Allouchas
A rug woven in the Kairouan style, but using a range of natural colors from sheep’s wool (white, gray-beige, brown, and black).
Texture
Originally, Tunisian rugs did not have more than 40,000 stitches/m2 (20 x 20). Today, they may have as many as 250,000 stitches/m2. The most popular are 30 x 30 and 40 x 40.
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