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Atlas
is a Berber woman from the ancient Kingdom of Morocco, and this is
her little two-person company.
We are not a giant importing corporation; though it might be nice
to become one eventually, with your help.
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When
she visits her native land, Atlas dresses
much like the Berber woman shown here. At
home in the United States, you wouldn't
know her from any other American woman. |
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Berbers
are light-skinned people whose tribes have existed in Morocco and
neighboring areas for thousands of years. According to some
historians, they may have originally come from what is now
Ireland. Most likely, they migrated south through England, France,
and Spain before crossing the Straits of Gibralter into North
Africa.
Many of them tend
great flocks of sheep in the region of Zemmour, between the
nation's capital at Rabat, and the ancient city of Meknes. They
produce a wide variety of textiles from the wool.
Atlas
is just one generation out of a tribal tent. Her father and mother
were from neighboring tribes, and their marriage was arranged by
relatives when the young girl (Atlas' future mother) was just nine
years old. Her future father was a little older.
Atlas
and her thirteen siblings were born in Khmisset, a small town near
the capital city of Rabat, and spent their
youth there. Several are still there now; but Atlas followed her
new husband to the United States while she was a young woman. Now
she's spent half her life here and holds dual citizenship in the
two countries she's learned to love equally.
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- Handmade Wool Rugs
For Sale
- on a Moroccan
Sidewalk
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She has been bringing
gifts from Morocco and other places to her friends in the United
States for more than two decades, but only recently have we begun
to offer some of these same things for sale on eBay and the web.
Our prices and minimum bids are set low, in order to offer the
best values possible on everything we have for sale.
Women and Girls of
All Ages Work Together in Moroccan Rug Cooperatives
A "rug
cooperative" consists of several women and/or girls who
support themselves by using primitive, hand-powered looms to
create fine wool rugs for sale. Many girls are not able to attend
school, even though public schools are free to them. The long trip
from their tribal home to school in the city is often too
dangerous for them to travel by foot or on the back of a donkey.
Atlas' own mother was
one of these tribal girls and made rugs like these when she was
very young; but she was fortunate. Her elder brother arranged for
her to marry a certain young man in a nearby tribe. They soon
moved into the city, where he became a successful businessman with
two stores of his own.
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We
Offer Fabulous Deals on a Variety of Imported Items
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Exotic,
handmade gifts and decorative items from Morocco
and the Middle East.
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Rugs
handmade of pure Moroccan wool by Berber tribal
women, using the same tools and techniques their
mothers and grandmothers have used for
centuries.
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Colorful
handmade pillows.
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Papyrus
paintings from the bazaar in Casa Blanca.
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Bracelets,
necklaces, anklets, and other jewelry handmade
by Atlas herself
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Bracelets
and other jewelry in brass and silver metal.
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Muslim
prayer rugs in a variety of designs.
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The
object of using such handmade imports in the United States is not
to try to match your decor, but rather to have something unusual,
wonderful, or exotic. Put it on your own wall or give it to
somebody you love. These items all make wonderful gifts!
There
is one other thing you should know: many of the things we sell can
absorb smells. So let us assure you that we always store
everything in clean, non-smoking areas where there are no strong
odors to worry about.
We
will never be satisfied with just selling you one item. We
hope you'll keep on buying from us again and again. And we hope
you'll tell your friends to do likewise. But we know this will
never happen unless you are completely happy with your purchase.
For this reason, we guarantee your satisfaction for 30 days or
your money back. (See our Guarantee
Page for details.)
Minimum
bids are posted clearly, and we never use a reserve price; so you
know every bid counts.
The
price of shipping insurance is always included in the S&H rate
posted in each listing, and all shipments will be insured for
your protection.
We
cannot ship outside the United States. Please don't bid on our
auctions if you don't have an American shipping address. Thank you
very much for understanding. (See our Terms
of Service Page for details.)
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Three
Reasons to Shop with Atlas of Morocco
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Quick
Service - We ship nearly everything within one
business day.
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Value
for Your Money - All our opening bids are as
low as we can reasonably make them, and there is
never a reserve.
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Security
- Atlas has been buying goods in Morocco and other
countries for a long time. She knows her products,
and we guarantee your satisfaction. In addition,
everything we ship is insured for the selling price
in case of of loss during shipping.
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Thanks
for stopping by. Please be sure to bookmark this page and come
back often to see what new things we are offering for auction. And
please tell all your friends about us. We want them to be our
friends, too.
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