TRIPOLI, Libya | Xinhua | As the first rays of morning light spread across Tripoli’s old city, the sound of a wooden loom echoes through a narrow alley, mingling with the scents of thyme, amber and coffee drifting through the ancient streets.
Beneath the vaulted roof of a traditional courtyard house, between Maryam Square and Arba Arsat Street, cousins Zeinab and Aisha Madi sit before strands of wool, their hands moving with quiet precision as tangled threads gradually take shape, becoming bags and woven pieces adorned with colors and patterns deeply rooted in Libyan memory.
Zeinab and Aisha hail from the Nafusa Mountains, southwest of Tripoli, where their passion for the craft took root in childhood.
They grew up watching their mothers and grandmothers spin wool and weave threads using traditional looms and tools. These scenes became deeply etched in their memories, eventually inspiring them to turn a family tradition into a profession.
After training under an experienced local artisan, the cousins opened their own workshop in the heart of Tripoli’s old city.
The greater challenge was transforming a craft they had known since childhood into a viable business capable of standing on its own.
“Making handmade textiles requires time and effort, but we do it with love,” Aisha says.
Throughout the interview, Aisha rarely pauses her work. Her fingers move deftly between the threads, while her eyes remain fixed on the finest details of the weave.
Completing a single piece can take several days. The craft, she says, has taught them patience and precision, as even the smallest mistake can mean having to redo hours of work.
For the two women, their work is also an effort to preserve a craft passed down through generations of their family. They see this traditional art as an integral part of the cultural identity of Tripoli’s old city and fear it could gradually disappear.
Rising raw material costs, competition from mass-produced imported goods, limited support for artisans and a dwindling number of practitioners have all threatened the craft’s survival.
Zeinab says they occasionally receive orders for large quantities with tight deadlines, but must turn some down because hand weaving allows no shortcuts.
The cousins have taken part in events at home and abroad, seeking to introduce Libyan textiles to a wider audience.
Their work has gradually attracted European tourists, members of diplomatic missions and ambassadors. Some of their creations have even traveled beyond the narrow alleys of Tripoli to find homes abroad.
The two women dream of moving into a larger space and expanding their business. They also hope to train other women, ensuring that the heritage passed down by their mothers and grandmothers reaches future generations.
“Every successful project begins as an idea, and it could become reality through determination and perseverance.” That is their message to women aspiring to start their own businesses.
As evening approaches, the sound of the wooden loom continues to echo through the narrow alleys of the ancient city.
Zeinab and Aisha remain at their looms, working thread by thread, convinced that an age-old craft can still find its way into the future, as long as there are hands willing to preserve it.
“Money inherited from grandparents may fade, but a craft learned by hands remains,” the two women say, summing up their journey with a Libyan saying. ■
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