The ultimate guide to tuareg mats

OUR PROCESS:

All Tuareg mats are sourced on request with our interior designers and suppliers

Submit an inquiry providing details of your project, so that we may provide the best options and pricing quote. Shipping is by air, road or ocean container. Due to intensifying global situations and the art of weaving being lost due to modernization, these mats are more valuable than ever. Available stock is very low globally, making these Tuareg mats a rare collector’s piece. Stock is not always readily available.

Our range of Tuareg Mats are sourced directly from the Sahara Desert and Mauritania. Each mat is handwoven with palm and leather from the Tuareg tribes throughout the Sahara Desert. Decorated with intricate woven leather strands from goat and camel, containing ancient symbols of the Tuareg people, these mats are one of the few possessions these minimalist nomads carried with them. Tuareg mats are incredibly durable, made for some of the hottest weather in the world. Each is individual and very special.

Our Collection of Tuareg Mats with Noble Souls, Timothy Oulton

The Origins of Tuareg Mats

The Tamashek, or Tuareg are made up of tribes of semi-nomadic people, who live in remote areas of Mauritania, Niger, Algeria, and Northern Mali (including the famous Timbuktu). Made up of various sub-tribes, crossing a number of country lines, their territory remains under dispute, placing allegiance to blood and tribe over nation or ideology.

Known as the masters of the Sahara, the Tuaregs dominated the Salt, Gold, and Ivory trade routes between North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East in the 14th century, due to their extensive knowledge of the Sahara.

In Tuareg tradition, they believe themselves to be descendants of legendary Queen Tin Hinan (from the 4th Century) and who united the tribes and led the expansion of the Tuareg people, south of Algeria. Their rich culture has managed to survive the test of time and political hardship, which is shown through their breathtaking arts, poetry, music, and cultural traditions. The quintessential warriors of the desert, they continue to fight and protect their tribes and regions to this day.

Their society is matrilineal, descendants and possessions are traced through the female line. Tuaregs place immense societal power in the hands of women, as maintain ownership of livestock, tents, and mats that form the tribe’s communal space. They even keep those possessions after divorce (including the children!). Divorce comes with neither stigma nor shame to the Tuareg people.

Women are at the head of the most important tasks of Tuareg life including weaving, farming, and caretaking of livestock. Unlike Arab cultures, the men (not the women) wear veils to cover their faces. Famously know as the blue men of the desert, the blue and indigo dye from the traditional clothing they wear to protect themselves from the harsh desert sun wears off on their skin.