Maghrebi Berber textiles

Timeline

1. 1161–1165Berber settlements of the Atlas Mountains · Atlas MountainsBerber women wove wool carpets and saddle bags on traditional looms in tribal tents and mountain villages, with patterns recording clan affiliation and auspicious symbols. North African politics was turbulent in the 1160s, but mountain production was relatively independent; textiles were used locally and shipped to markets such as Fez and Marrakesh.
2. 1166–1170Trading port of Sijilmasa · SijilmasaMaghrebi cotton cloth, cloaks and dyed wool blankets were packed and loaded at trading ports such as Sijilmasa, carried south by camel caravan to the Sahel and exchanged for West African gold and salt blocks. Textiles became markers of status and religious identity in Sahelian elite society.