Mat-Weaving in Yazd

Mat-Weaving in Yazd

The history of mat-weaving in Iran dates back to several centuries ago. The art has been popular in those areas with abundant palm groves.
However, mat-weaving has never been among the main profession of the people. Farmers have engaged in mat-weaving parallel to their main occupation.
Residents of Yazd have always considered mat-weaving as a leisure activity, IRNA reported.
The cities of Bafq and Ardekan (both in Yazd province) have a lot of palm groves that makes finding raw material for mat-weaving industry easier.
Women outnumber men in mat-weaving passing through old districts in Yazd province, female mat-weavers can be seen. The leaves of date palm are also used in producing mats. The process of mat-weaving comprises six phases of picking the leaves, inserting the leaves into water, separating the leaves from branches, dying of mats and eventually the actual process of mat-weaving.
A variety of mat-woven products are available and before production of similar plastic products the mat products were popular.
Despite urbanization and abundance of many machine-made products, the assiduous men and women of Yazd province are still used to traditional mat-weaving.