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28 September 2009
Today, millions of people live as nomads in the Orient raising sheep as their main income. The camps with black tents made of hair from goats, the large herds of goats, flock of sheep and the shepherds on their donkeys and horses still make a fascinating picture in the landscape. Nevertheless, a large part of the nomadic culture is disappearing as the nomads tend to be more "resident". The reason for this is that they find areas where the conditions are so good that they can stay for longer periods without having to move so often. Slowly they are changing into some kind of "resident nomads". Today most nomads get around with jeeps and motorcycles
In the olden days there was competition among the different nomadic tents. When a woman was working on her carpet she would seek inspiration from the surroundings and tried to be better than her neighbour. Since the picture has changed today, the motifs do not tend to be so artistic either. An old nomad carpet therefore is a good investment well worth to preserve for the future.
Carpets, kilims and bags of different sizes are important for the daily life of the nomads. Keeping their own animals provides them with materials for their weavings. The weaving take place on horizontal looms and the patterns which have been inspired by the surroundings of the nomads are passed on from generation to generation. The weavers do not use any kind of original, they tie from their memory.
