Stitching passion into business: Grandma-grandson duo revives Margoum weaving

By Mays Ibrahim Mustafa - Jul 30,2023 - Last updated at Jul 30,2023

Moslim Jodeh, an accountant by day, is on a mission to revive the ancient ‘margoum’ weaving art with the help of his 90-year-old grandmother, Fatimah (Photo courtesy of Moslim Jodeh)

AMMAN — Moslim Jodeh, an accountant by day, is on a mission to revive the ancient “margoum” weaving art with the help of his 90-year-old grandmother, Fatimah.

Margoum weaving is famous in Tunisia, and its colourful geometric designs are inspired by the culture of the Amazigh, an ancient North African ethnic group.

The 33-year-old Jordanian discovered his passion for this art during the lockdown period following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I learned it from my Palestinian grandmother, who learned it from her mother,” the budding craftsman told The Jordan Times.

The margoum weaving process involves inserting weft horizontally, over and under longitudinal warp yarns held in tension on a wooden frame, he explained.

Jodeh noted that he either buys acrylic yarn or unravels used woollen clothes to use for his designs.

Together with his wife, he is currently working on transforming this passion into a full-blown business that provides them with a source of income.

Their customers have so far been limited to a number of friends and acquaintances. However, Jodeh will soon open a workshop at Jabal Luweibdeh, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the capital, known for its flourishing cultural and artistic scene.

He noted that the workshop will be equipped with a weaving loom that will allow him to work while seated and make his creative process easier, faster and more precise.

Jodeh said that the loom originally used for this type of weaving is made up of wooden framework that is placed on the floor, requiring one to kneel and lean their back forward, which is “painful and unhealthy on the long-term”.

“Margoum weaving requires great physical effort and it can take months to complete one tapestry… but the beauty that comes out of this painstaking process makes it all worthwhile,” he added.

The price of a handmade margoum rug ranges between JD300 to JD350, while one bag is sold for between JD50 to JD90 and one purse is sold for JD30 to JD50, according to Jodeh.

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