Glazed and unglazed ceramic pottery, leather goods in all forms, wood work, copper and brass ware, and carpets – all of these and more are produced in Morocco. The techniques and skillful know-how of Moroccan craftsmen have been perfected and passed down since a time before the middle-ages. Depending on the craft, some cities are more specialized than others in a particular tradition. Woodworking, for example, is found mainly in Tetouan, Sale, Meknes, Essaouira, and Marrakech. Safi and Fez, on the other hand, are important cities for production of pottery.

Handwoven carpets often reflect the cosmology and creativity of their makers, and so can be fascinating subjects in themselves. In Morocco, designs and motifs vary widely between regions. Those made in the cities, mainly Rabat and Mediouna, are defined by their symmetrical decoration and concentric rectangle framing. By contrast, those made in the Berber villages - particularly those of the high Atlas and south of Morocco - are identified by specific tribal patterns unique to the locale.

Berber designs are often made up of pre-Islamic symbols referencing ancient beliefs and superstitions. Just as often, they are imaginative abstractions of everyday subjects – tents, camels, dogs, and even cars. If you take a second glance at all those little lines on your Berber rug, you just might see visions of Bedouin camps or an entire desert caravan meandering across Sahara dunes.