Historians tell of Moroccan rugs as far back as the Merinid era (second half of the XIIIth century), referring to them as the precious furniture of palaces, zaou?as (sacred places), tombs, etc. . .but also as gifts of princes. Rugs are the preferred gift for people of high social rank. Together with blankets and fabric wall-coverings, they are also an important part of the. The ancient rugs preserved in museums are generally from the XVIIIth century. One of them, attributed to Haouz, dates back to 1202 (Hegira)/1798 AD. The region with which we are concerned ? the High and Lower Atlas region ? is represented by a number of beautiful examples, which may be seen in museums both in Morocco and abroad. In the high Atlas region, the tazerbyt rug, which is woven by nearly all tribes, is made for domestic purposes. Only the A?t Ouaouzguite Confederation and neighboring tribes, such as the Glaou to the north, and the Zenaga and Souktana to the south, produce a significant number of rugs for sale. The handbal rugs, however, are produced in large quantities by all social classes, and marketed in many mountain souks.   Weaving is still learned very much in the traditional manner. Knowledge is handed on at home, within the family. The mother is responsible for initiating her daughter in the art of rug-making just as she is responsible for teaching her daughter how to prepare a meal. "Initiation in the art of rug-weaving is a hard apprenticeship. The young apprentice must not only learn a certain technique, she must also memorize the color range, learn how to register each pattern, and master all the decorative motifs (signs and symbols) . . . A rug is not just a work of art, nor is it merely a utilitarian object. It is also a testimony to a constant struggle - against forgetting, against the passage of time - in an effort to retain a memory. The place where this memory is found, the place of imagination and the place of knowledge, the rug may be interpreted in several ways."

The history of Persian Carpet-a culmination of artistic magnificence - dates back to 2,500 years ago. The Iranians were among the pioneer carpet weavers of the ancient civilizations, having achieved a superlative degree of perfection through centuries of creativity and ingenuity. The skill of carpet weaving has been handed down by fathers to their sons, who built upon those skills and in turn handed them down to their offspring as a closely guarded family secret. To trace the history of Persian carpet is to follow a path of cultural growth of one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever seen. From being simple articles of need, floor and entrance coverings to protect the nomadic tribesmen from the cold and damp, the increasing beauty of the carpets found them new owners - kings and noblemen, who looked upon them as signs of wealth, prestige and distinction. When Cyrus the Greatconquered Babylon in 539 BC, he was struck by its splendour, and it was probably he who introduced the art of carpet making into Persia. However, historical records show that magnificent carpets adorned the court of Cyrus the Great, who founded the Persian Empire over 2,500 years ago. It is also said that the tomb of Cyrus, who was buried at Pasargadae near Persepolis, was covered with precious carpets. Even before his time, it is very likely that Persian nomads knew about the use of Knotted carpets. Their herds of sheep and goats provided them with high quality and durable wool for this purpose.......