Chris Aslan Alexander wrote a book ‘Carpet Ride to Khiva’ on how he started this carpet workshop as a joint project between Operation Mercy, and UNESCO with the idea to revive the art of natural dyeing and to re-create fifteenth century Timurid carpet designs in silk. The workshop was a derelict madrassah courtyard in the heart of the walled city, which was renovated, filling each of the cells with wooden or metal looms. The carpet workshop opened in 2001 currently employs around 55 people in a town where unemployment is very high. The suzanni workshop opened in 2004 as a joint project between Operation Mercy and the British Council. It employs around 35 people. The aim of the workshop is to create stunning silk carpets and suzannis using natural dyes and reviving traditional designs and to provide income generation and skills training for the poor.
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Sig Nordal 