Women carpet workshop in Arsal revived in cooperation with the private sector & the UN

In its issue of Saturday, An Nahar daily shed light on the work of Nivine Maktabi, the daughter of the legendary carpet family, who has sought to restore and revive the old craft. Recalling her beginnings, Nivine told the newspaper that following the death of her father, and being the eldest in the family, she decided to carry on with her dream in the world of men. She headed to London to major in business administration, social affairs and women empowerment, besides her study of the history of carpets and textiles at the Sothebys World Auctions House. This, Nivine expounded, introduced her to local and international associations in Lebanon working in the field of women empowerment, while at the same time she continued to work and expand the family carpet business. To this end, Nivine opened a workshop in the Bekaa region of Arsal.  The workshop is run by women who also weave shawls with designs reflecting the beauty and magic of the Orient. Nivine wanted to present quality carpets which are also affordable, and selected for that reason herbal colors for a final modern artistic craft, An Nahar wrote. Maktabi chose to collaborate with Fakha and Arsal women because they are skilled in loom knitting like the carpet weavers from Iran, India, Pakistan and Turkey. She explained to the newspaper how she designs the carpet and finishes it with silk and wool. “Encouraged by the United Nations refugee aid program, I had the chance to visit Arsal two months back and closely witnessed and supervised the work of some 11 women aged between 20 to 50 years in order to implement any design or graphic,” Nivine boasted. To recall, that on the 10th anniversary of the opening of her shop in the heart of Downtown Saifi Village district, Nivine Maktabi showcased a collection of made-in-Arsal items, noting that each one two-meter carpet takes around a month to complete. On the occasion, one woman weaver from the Bekaa town gave a live hand loom performance. (An Nahar, June 11, 2016)