Kashmiri Artisans knit Asia’s largest Carpet for Saudi Arabian Palace
About 50 artisans from Kashmir invested 8 years of life, working their fingers to the bone to realise this Silk dream of the valley. The 275-square-metre-long hand-woven carpet is completed at Wailoo, Pattan area of North Kashmir in Baramulla district.
The work on the carpet started in the year 2016. The project was expected to be completed in 2021 but due to the COVID-19 restrictions and political disturbances in the Valley, they were not able to complete it.
The intricate weaving of this exceptional carpet was overseen by two seasoned veterans of the craft, Fayaz Ahmed Shah, owns a firm ‘Shah Qadir and Sons’ and Abdul Gaffar Sheikh, whose unwavering dedication ensured the completion of this monumental piece despite various challenges.
Habibullah Sheikh and his brother Abdul Gaffar Sheikh, led this team that took on the herculean task of producing this carpet that measures a staggering 72 feet by 40 feet, roughly 2880 square feet, nearly the size of half a Kanals of land.
A Qaleen is a hand-knit oriental rug from Kashmir valley in India which is associated with Kashmiri handicrafts. It has an intricate design that is primarily floral and has a range of colours, sizes, and mostly quality. They are made using pure wool and silk.
These carpets typically involve significant and culturally important motifs such as the paisley, maple tree which is also called locally as the tree of life and is a symbolic representation of the age-old Kashmiri tradition of hospitality, warmth and love. The indigenous brilliance of local craftsmen has made Kashmiri carpets one of the most sought in the world.
Fayaz Ahmed Shah, a Srinagar based businessman, who runs this project claims the carpet will be Asia’s biggest. Shah, who owns a firm ‘Shah Qadir and Sons’ is a resident of Safa Kadal, Srinagar.
As per Shah, “The buyers tried very hard for this project to get completed. They even went to Iran but were very much interested in Kashmiri carpets that are made out of silicon-based silk. Shah said that the order was not just one but three carpets. “This is for a very important person,” he said.
“Kashmir has never manufactured the biggest carpet like this. It was challenging initially. The contract of completion was seven years and we had assured the buyer that it would be completed within three years,” Shah mentioned.
As per the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s largest hand-woven carpet measures 5,630 square metres and was manufactured by an Iranian carpet company. It was created for a mosque based in Abu Dhabi in Dubai in 2007.
Images by Sheikh Mustafa | Kashmir Times
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